A Hero's Last Cry
by AquilaTempestas
Summary: Tyson is keen to defend his title for the fourth time in a row, but things might not be so easy this time. A number of villains emerge and Tyson finds it hard to determine who is friend or foe. Is this the end of the champion's reign? TysonxHil. Season 4 fic. A tale of betrayal, friendship and salvation.
1. Fall From Grace

**Disclaimer**

The rights to Beyblade belong to Takao Aoki.

**Title**

A Hero's Last Cry

**Summary**

Tyson is keen to defend his title for the fourth time in a row, but things might not be so easy this time. A number of villains emerge and Tyson finds it hard to determine who is friend or foe. Is this the end of the champion's reign?

**Soundtrack**

Every chapter will have a song attached to it. It might not necessarily represent the chapter, but they relate to the themes presented in the story.

First song is, 'Given Up' by Linkin Park

**.**

**Chapter One: Fall From Grace**

He was in the heat of the battle and his chances of victory were steadily increasing with each passing moment. His opponent – the ex-member of the notorious Blade Sharks, Carlos – appeared to be losing his edge. His blade responded to his owner's lack of control. It veered sharply to the left then took a shaky right turn. Carlos' confusion was being transferred into the blade. Dragoon continued to smash into the Carlos' blade from all four corners, slowing its spin rate with each hit. Soon, it would be over. The thrill of victory would soon be his.

"This is torture, Carlos. You have the option to end the battle now," Tyson said. "I've defeated you before and I'll defeat you again." He had grown much since his last encounter with Carlos. He expected Carlos to falter – to show some sign of weakness – but to his surprise, Carlos' demeanour grew more confident.

"I'm just fooling with you, Tyson. You will be the one to lose today."

Tyson snorted. "I have the advantage here, Carlos. Your blade will not last much longer."

"Look again, champion. You'll see that you are wrong."

Tyson glanced down at the beydish where Dragoon was pushing Carlos' blade away. He didn't think much of it at first, but looking down again made him realize something was wrong. Dragoon was known for its immense power. It should've defeated a rookie's blade with ease, yet Carlos' blade still spun. Its spin rate had decreased, but it wasn't defeated. "How are you...?"

"I'm absorbing your every hit – it's been done before or have you forgotten already? Had all that fame gotten to your head? Nevermind, I will remind you. Every hit you make makes my blade stronger. My blade's spin rate decreases in favour of a stronger defence. It's my bitbeast's special ability," Carlos explained.

"You don't have a bitbeast."

"I didn't... but I do now. A lot can happen in three years, champion. While you were out there building up your celebrity profile, I was training hard in isolated areas. I battled the elements and I sacrificed a social life for practice time. At first, it seemed like a waste of time, but I reminded myself that I could be a champion just like you, Tyson," Carlos said, pointing a finger at Tyson's face. "But I'll be a better blader than you. I won't let fame get to my head."

Tyson's eyes narrowed. "You will only be seen as a champion if you can defeat me in the beystadium where it matters and you've failed at that."

Carlos smirked. "I never failed, Tyson. You see, failure is a lack of success... I have succeeded." He tilted his head forward, eyes hinting at malicious intent.

"You lost Carlos. You lost to me, you lost to Kai and you lost the qualifying rounds. If that's not failure, then I don't know what is," Tyson replied, before pointing a finger in Carlos' direction. "You will lose to me again. Dragoon! Galaxy turbo twister!" he shouted. A sudden gust of wind almost blew Carlos and his blade away, but he stood his ground. The infamous funnel erupted from Tyson's bitchip threatening to destroy everything that stood in its path. "You'll never defeat me, Carlos!"

"You can be defeated, Tyson. I've seen your defeats on the big screen. You're no better than the other bladers in those tournaments. Only luck and good friends saw you through. Where would you be without the Bladebreakers? Your lousy brother?" He snorted. "Face it, Tyson. You are not worthy of your title."

Tyson tightened his jaw, feeling sweat beads form on his forehead. Battles always made him somewhat nervous – you could never predict the outcome. But Carlos' had struck home. Kenny provided him with a strong beyblade. His teammates coached him. His brother gave him the confidence to win battles. But without his support, he was nothing. "You're wrong... I worked hard for my title."

"You've always had someone else to do the dirty work for you, Tyson. Someone to fix and upgrade your blade. Someone to tell you how to win the battle. Someone to pick up your slack. I've seen the documentaries about you on television. I've heard your friendship speeches," Carlos replied, pointing a finger at Tyson accusingly. "You don't deserve any of it."

Tyson's confidence was shattered. His concentration faltered. Carlos was playing him for a fool all along, letting him think he had the upper hand. "How...?"

"You're alone, Tyson. Unfortunate for me as no one will see you lose, but I suppose that's good for you. Wouldn't want your _fans _to lose faith in you," he mocked his smirk widening. "Your luck was bound to run out eventually, Tyson. I will take your place and be the new champion," he concluded, his stare intensifying. "Everything I trained for has led me to this moment. I will _not _let you take it away from me. TYRO!"

A burst of purple light erupted from the centre of Carlos' blade. The light faded revealing a giant creature in the form of a lizard. Yellow poisonous spikes trailed down its back ending at the tip of its tail, while large curled claws grasped at the air. Teeth the length of a butcher's knife gnashed at the air. A vicious snarl escaped the creatures' jaws and Tyson felt the earth beneath him shake. He trembled – actually trembled! – as the creature advanced on Dragoon. In one fluid movement, Tyro snatched Dragoon in its jaws, crushing him with his teeth.

A bloodcurdling wounded roar escaped from Dragoon. One of Tyro's teeth had punctured his scaled skin causing blood to flow. "Dragoon..." Tyson whispered, gazing at his trusty partner in horror. "What did he do to you?"

The black haired teenager simply shrugged and fixed his denim jacket. "Surprised? It's a move I've been working on for years now."

"You've changed."

"An excellent observation, Tyson. Of course I've changed. I've changed for the better. I'm smarter, wiser and stronger than before. You will bow before me." The smirk on his fade widened even further. He almost looked psychotic. "Every sacrifice I've made has brought me one step closer to victory, but of course... you don't know the meaning of the word," he spat at the ground.

"I lost a lot of friends along the way."

Carlos kicked the floor. "Don't even try and speak to me of sacrifice. While you were the attention of the global media, people like me suffered. I was labelled a loser after you crushed me in the qualifying rounds. No one wanted anything to do with me." He jerked his head towards the warehouse window watching the sun fall. "I considered ending it all at one stage, but Tyro came to me then. He saved my life."

Tyson remained silent. He didn't know what to say and even if could, didn't think he could bring himself to speak. His words would just infuriate Carlos and give him even more of a reason to humiliate him. At least he wasn't in the stadium surrounded by screaming fans of beyblade. Fans of the sport expected great things from him, and if he couldn't deliver good results, they'd turn on him.

"Abandon all hope, Tyson. Your reign as champion is over," Carlos stated coldly. "It's time a new champion emerged."

With another vicious roar, Tyro smashed into Dragoon sending him flying out of the dish. Tyson stood, shell-shocked at the sight. He hadn't lost this badly before... "No... Dragoon..." he whispered. Everything happened in slow motion. He dropped to his knees, gaze fixing on his blade resting on the palm of his hand. A strange blue light lit up from the bitchip. "Dragoon... please..." The figure of a dragon emerged from Tyson's beyblade. Dragoons snarled, then rose up towards the sky smashing through the ceiling.

When the light faded, Tyson picked himself up and glanced back down at his beyblade. Dragoon, his pride, glory and partner had finally left. Tyson wasn't sure if Dragoon would ever come back; he wasn't certain if he wanted Dragoon to return. One thing he knew for certain is that he would never beyblade again.

.

Sorry guys, I felt compelled to rewrite this story after reading over the first few chapters. The original first few chapters were pretty old (2010) so I figured it was time to update them and bring them in line with the current direction the story is now taking. It's far more complex than what it was back then. The rewrite only affects the first three chapters though – all other chapters will be the same with a few minor edits (grammar and such). I hope this revision doesn't deter anyone from reading future chapters – chapter ten will be uploaded as soon as the revision is done.


	2. The Beyblading Spirit

**Disclaimer**

The rights to Beyblade belong to Takao Aoki.

**Title**

A Hero's Last Cry

**Summary**

Tyson is keen to defend his title for the fourth time in a row, but things might not be so easy this time. A number of villains emerge and Tyson finds it hard to determine who is friend or foe. Is this the end of the champion's reign?

**Special Thanks**

Desastrus and Kiray Himawari for reviewing the previous chapter!

**Soundtrack**

"Bird Without Wings' by the Material

**.**

**Chapter Two: The Beyblading Spirit**

The G-Revolutions were sitting before the big screen waiting patiently for the blading news. Stanley Dickenson was rumoured to be changing the blading format for the fourth major championship. "I can barely contain my excitement!" Daichi said, jumping up and down in his chair.

"Sit still, Daichi! You're making me lose my focus!" Hilary snapped. She was currently in the process of writing up a training plan.

He glared. "Well, go find someplace else to keep your focus in place."

"I want to hear the news too and this is the only television in this house," Hilary replied.

"Oh, quit arguing. Let's talk about the championship!" Max announced, the playful blond trading a high-five with Kenny. "I wonder what changes have been made this year?" he asked, glancing at his friends.

"Before we can even think about the changes, we need to determine what team we will blade for," Rei said, looking away from the screen for a brief moment. "Do we blade for the G-Revolutions or do we blade for our home teams again?"

Max stroked his chin. "I don't know, Rei. I love beyblading for both teams, but I think my mum will want me on her team again. What about you, Rei?"

Rei sighed. "The White Tigers still need me as their leader; my work with them is not done yet." He placed his hands on his lap. "I would stay, don't get me wrong – but the White Tigers still need me."

"I can't believe you guys are considering leaving again, not after everything we went through last year," Daichi said, arms crossed over his chest. "We're a team!"

"Sorry Daichi, if I could have it any other way I would. Besides, you and Tyson make a formidable team anyway," Rei said, looking sideways for support from Max.

Max nodded. "Yeah, that's true." He turned to Kai. "What about you, Kai? What are your plans?"

As usual, Kai was leaning against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest. "Hn," he gently snorted.

"I'll take that a 'yes' then," Kenny said.

Daichi snorted. "I'll see you all in the stadium then."

"We'll always be friends, Daichi," Max assured.

"It's on!" Hilary announced, grabbing the remote. She turned the volume up loud enough people outside walking by could hear the television. Stanley Dickinson stood before two journalists. One was holding a microphone while the other one held a notebook.

The tallest of the two journalists turned towards the camera man. "Hey, beyblade fans. If you're turning in right now you're in for a treat! Stanley Dickinson has dropped by our centre to answer some questions regarding the format of the championships this year." He turned to Stanley. "Thanks for coming down to visit, Mr. Dickinson."

"It's my pleasure."

"So, Mr. Dickinson, what can you tell us about the format for the tournament this year? Every year it seems to change!"

Stanley smiled, cleared his throat then spoke into the microphone, "We received a mixed reception after last year's tournament from some fans. Although the action was good, fans wanted to see more competition from old favourites. Due to the format of the last year, only two members from a team represented their country. This meant some beybladers missed out on most of the action."

"So, what are you changing?"

"We've looked at the past format of previous tournaments and I can say we've combined the best elements for this tournament. There will be no tag-team matches. Three members from each team must compete and will be required to battle one match each during a round. A team must have a minimum of four bladers. Each beyblader on the team must have a minimum of one battle in the tournament," Stanley replied, readjusting his tie.

"That sounds great, Mr. Dickinson. What can you tell us about the venues? How many teams will be competing this year? When will fans be able to purchase tickets?"

Stanley cleared his throat again. "Ten teams will advance past the qualifying rounds. Venues have been determined and I can happily say we are still taking it around the world. Dishes have been redesigned to challenge the bladers. Bladers will need to adapt to the conditions if they want to win. Tickets for the qualifying rounds are available now with varying prices."

The journalist smiled. "There you have it folks!"

Mr. Dickinson said his goodbyes and left the screen. Hilary turned the television off. "Should be an interesting year then. I guess that's going to change our plans completely?" she said, looking at Max and Rei.

"So the rules have changed, it doesn't change a thing," Rei said. "One thing that will change is the level of competition though."

Kai nodded. "Bladers that didn't have a chance to blade last year will want to prove themselves worthy of blading with the best. And for the teams that didn't manage to make it through, I'm sure they'll be determined to make a statement."

"The Majestics," Max commented.

"A minimum of four bladers... we've only got two," Daichi said, casting his gaze downwards at his fingers ensuring he had counted right. "We'll have to recruit two more bladers unless we can train Kenny and Hilary."

"I'm the coach, not a blader," Hilary said.

"And I'm the technician of the team," Kenny added.

"Aw man, I don't want to undergo the process of finding new team members again," Daichi complained. "It was hard enough getting used to Tyson."

"Speaking of Tyson, where is he?" Hilary asked, glancing around the room searching for the champion. The other bladers moved their heads to. Tyson was not to be seen. "He still hasn't returned. I told him to go and get some groceries from the shop."

Max laughed. "Tyson? Food shopping? He probably got distracted by the candy bar section." Everyone laughed. "I'll give him a call." He reached down into his pocket and pulled out his iPhone. Dialling Tyson's number, he waited a couple of seconds until Tyson picked up the phone. "Hey, Tyson. Just wondering where you are?"

"Max?"

"Where are ya?"

"...out."

"Well, wherever you are we need you here. We're discussing teams for the upcoming tournament. Rei, Max and Kai are playing for their home countries again which leaves just you and Daichi again. But we need a minimum of four bladers, so you're going to need two more unless you can force Kenny and Hilary to blade."

"You call him," Tyson replied, his voice flat, "you'll need an extra beyblader."

"What do you mean, Tyson?"

Max heard Tyson sigh. "I'm not blading anymore," he replied and hung up on the phone.

"Tyson? Tyson!" Max shouted. But it was too late. He put his phone back in his pocket and looked at his friends. "Something's wrong."

.

'I'm not blading anymore'.

His decision was final. He wouldn't blade; he couldn't blade without passion. Once, he had loved blading but those days were gone. Now, it was just a game. He glanced around warily, eyeing the small beyblade dishes that lined the streets. Groups of kids stood around the dish cheering for the competitors. He looked away. That part of his life was over. He was no longer that little kid who dreamed of making it big.

Instead, he was the big kid everyone idolized. The kid everyone wanted to be. He never asked for the fame but his natural skills raised him to the alter to be worshipped by lesser beings. Everyone wanted to be like Tyson and the very thought made him angry. "Why me?" he asked aloud, gazing up the sky. Silence greeted his answer. He closed his tightly and buried his head into his hands.

"Tyson," a voice asked.

Tyson mentally growled in his head. Couldn't people leave him alone?! "What?" he asked the hint of annoyance in his tone. "What do you want?"

The kid didn't even fidget at Tyson's cruel manner of speech. "You're in trouble in Tyson."

Rolling his eyes, Tyson couldn't help but think the kid was an idiot. "In trouble?" he scoffed.

"The sport of beyblading is under threat," the kid responded calmly.

Tyson frowned. There was something unusual about the kid and it made him nervous. How could he remain calm? Wasn't he offended by Tyson's attitude? "I don't care."

Sighing, the kid dug his hand into his pocket and pulled out a white Beyblade. "Dragoon may be gone Tyson, but the world still needs you."

Tyson's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "How did you know about Dragoon?"

"I can see into the future," he replied, his intense hazel eyes looking directly into Tyson's eyes.

Tyson wasn't sure what to say. He had heard this before. BEGA's golden child, Brooklyn claimed he could see into the future too but his visions weren't always correct. "You can't predict the outcome of any event," he replied. "No one can."

"I can."

The kid wasn't going to leave him alone until he finished explaining his visions. Tyson sighed and surrendered himself to listening to his foolishness. "I didn't get your name."

"Brendan."

"Brendan, Dragoon isn't coming back - how am I meant to 'save the world' without a bitbeast?" If he couldn't beat Carlos with a bitbeast, he certainly wouldn't be able to defeat him without one - or any other skilled blader for that matter.

"If your heart desires it, Dragoon will come back."

Why was he even bothering explaining himself to a complete stranger? Tyson wasn't sure why but it eased his frustrations slightly. "What are you talking about? Look, tell me what I need to know and stop wasting my time!"

"You must prove yourself again that you are worthy of taming the great beast."

"And how am I supposed to achieve that?"

"Free yourself from the chains that bind you to the past."

Foolishness. "What?"

"Forgive those who hurt you."

"But no-" He fell silent. An image of his older brother Hiro materialized in his mind. Betrayer. Tyson's mind screamed. Once more he questioned himself why Hiro would leave him behind. Families were meant to stick together; not tear them apart. "I can't forgive Hiro!" he exclaimed. "He had no right to leave me like that!"

"If you wish to see Dragoon again you must forgive him."

"And if I do...?"

"Dragoon will return to fight by your side, stronger than before."

Tyson narrowed his eyes. "Why do you care?"

Brendan's response was smooth. "The fate of the beyblading world rests on your shoulders, Tyson. A war is coming and all soldiers are needed. Someone has to lead them into battle, offer hope and protection otherwise all will be lost."

Tyson shook his head. "This is crazy..." He turned his body around ready to head back home, but Brendan grabbed his arm. "What's the problem?!"

"You are the champion, Tyson."

"I lost a battle to an opponent I should've been able to beat and now Dragoon has left me. I'm not a champion."

Brendan's grip tightened. "Your title can never be taken away from you. You were _chosen. _You are the one who can unite as and vanquish opponents others can't defeat. Without a champion, there is no hope."

.

Chapter two revised and much improved. Reviews much appreciated, as always!


	3. The Past, the Present and the Future

**Disclaimer**

The rights to Beyblade belong to Takao Aoki.

**Title**

A Hero's Last Cry

**Summary**

Tyson is keen to defend his title for the fourth time in a row, but things might not be so easy this time. A number of villains emerge and Tyson finds it hard to determine who is friend or foe. Is this the end of the champion's reign?

**Special Thanks**

Guest, Kiray Himawari and Anjanie for reviewing the previous chapter

**Soundtrack**

'Unbreakable' by Fireflight

**.**

**Chapter Three: The Past, the Present and the Future**

Tyson sighed and glanced around the now empty neighbourhood. Could he do it all again? Could he rise up to the challenge and save the beyblading universe? Or would he fail and be responsible for humanity's destruction? He certainly hoped not. Too many people depended on him. He clenched his jaw and focused on the path ahead. If he wanted to redeem himself, he had to start thinking positive thoughts. He was a Champion; and if Brendan's words were true, he was the bringer of hope.

He craned his neck back and glanced up at the sky. "If you can hear me Hiro... know I forgive you," he whispered. He knew it was pointless but it was worth a try anyway. Speaking to Hiro face-to-face was the only way he could forgive him. But how could he speak to his brother when he didn't have a clue of his whereabouts? "Well... I'm home," he said to himself. Sighing, he cast his eyes back down on the ground and made his way inside.

"Tyson! Where have you been?!" Kenny shouted, racing towards him.

Tyson forced a smile. "Out," he said.

Max stepped forwards and greeted Tyson with a handshake. "We've been discussing the upcoming tournament Tyson; we need to tell you something really important."

Tyson focused his eyes on Max. "What is it?"

Max sighed. "Stanley Dickenson has changed the rules again. Tag-team matches will no longer occur and teams must have a minimum of four bladers," he said. "I'm not playing for the G-Revolutions this year Tyson," he said, watching Tyson's expression.

"I guess I expected that," Tyson said. "We'll always be friends though, right?" he asked. If he was to save the world again he would need his best friends by his side. He didn't think he could achieve anything without them.

A smile crossed Max's features. "Of course Tyson."

Rei stepped forwards and acknowledged Tyson with a faint smile. "The Bladebreaker friendship will never die, Tyson."

For the first time in a long time, the edges of Tyson's mouth curved into a true smile. "Thanks Rei." Tyson looked over at Kai. As usual, Kai was leaning against the wall, with his arms crossed and eyes closed. "Hn," he said softly.

Rei rolled his eyes. "Typical Kai but he feels the same; we've been through too much together to let it all fall. If you ever need us Tyson, you know we will be there to assist."

The others nodded in agreement. "So what happened anyway?" Max asked.

Tyson's smile faded as quickly as it had appeared. He dug his hand into his pocket and pulled out his beyblade. "Dragoon's gone," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "Carlos... Carlos beat me in a match and Dragoon disappeared."

Max, Rei and Kenny traded disbelieved looks. Surely, Tyson was joking? Rei stepped closer and looked at the bitchip of the blade. He gasped. "It's true... Dragoon's gone!" he exclaimed.

Kai opened his eyes and looked at Tyson intently. "Carlos?"

Tyson nodded. "He has this super-powered bitbeast now. Some giant lizard thing."

An darkened expression crossed Kai's face. What thoughts were running through Kai's head was unknown to Tyson, but he knew the quiet blader felt intense anger at his former teammate. Without saying another word, Kai headed towards the door.

"Kai! Where are you going?" Tyson called out.

"I'm going to pay Carlos a little visit," he explained calmly exiting the building.

Tyson ran after him but Rei and Max held him back. "Let him go Tyson... Tell us what happened," said Max.

Tyson let his muscles relax. "I met Carlos in the old Blade Sharks warehouse just around the corner from here on the way to the shops. He challenged me; I accepted and we engaged in a brutal beybattle. I thought I had the upperhand... but his bitbeast changed the outcome of the match. And before I could register what had happened, my beyblade was knocked out of the dish," he explained. He couldn't bring himself to tell his friends he had given up hope. That he had thrown in the match before it had even started. He didn't want his friends to think of him as weak.

Max placed a hand on his shoulder, giving his friend a sympathetic look. He knew from personal experience losing a bitbeast was incredibly difficult to cope with. "Dragoon will come back, Tyson."

Rei nodded in agreement. "He'll come back. You just have to prove yourself."

His words reminded him of Brendan. "Do you know someone named Brendan?" Tyson suddenly asked. "He approached me today and told me the world of beyblading would be in trouble again."

Kenny looked concerned. "Brendan?" he said. "The psychic kid Brendan?" he repeated.

"Yeah..." Tyson trailed off. "You know him?"

Kenny nodded. "His predictions are never wrong."

Daichi crossed his arms and let out a soft snort. "Why haven't we heard of him then?"

"His predictions aren't positive Daichi; he always foresees destruction, chaos and pain in his visions. Most people are too scared to ask him," Kenny explained, then turned his head to face Tyson. "You said he spoke to you? What did he say?" he asked.

"He said I could get Dragoon back but in order to do so, I'd have to prove my worth. Free myself from the chains that bind me to the past and forgive those who have hurt me," he said. "That's the only I can earn back Dragoon."

"You'll have to compete in the upcoming tournament too I suspect?" Rei said, stroking his chin. "Without Dragoon though... it's going to be difficult..."

Kenny nodded. "We're at a serious disadvantage going into the upcoming tournament then. Daichi's the only one with a powerful bitbeast," Kenny said, glancing over at Daichi. "We'll need to win two out of three battles to advance," he added. Without Dragoon, Tyson will have a very hard time beating opponents with strong bitbeasts."

Max frowned. "Maybe we shouldn't split then, Tyson will need our support."

"I agree. The White Tigers will understand."

Tyson put his hands up and shook his head. "I don't want you guys fighting my battles for me. I've faced many challenges in the past and have overcome them. This challenge is like any other," he said defiantly. He pointed a finger at himself. "I'm the world champion; I'm the one destined to save our world from cronies like Boris and Carlos. Battling without Dragoon will be hard, but I know I can do this. Blading isn't a game; it's life." He looked at his friends one by one. "Fight for your teams. If you happen to face me in a match, don't go easy on me. Give it your best," he declared.

Max, Kenny, Daichi and Rei were left speechless. They always knew Tyson had a habit of making strong speeches, but this had to be one of his most passionate ones to date. If Tyson believed he could win without Dragoon, he could. "We believe you, Tyson," said Rei.

"Do you know when the preliminaries are and what teams are competing?" Tyson asked, changing the topic. If he was going to win back Dragoon, he had to focus on the current events instead of dwelling on his problems.

"Majestics, FDynasty, BEGA, Blitzkrieg Boys, White Tigers, PBB All Stars, Team Psykick, Saint Shields, King and Queen, Blade Sharks, Barthaz Battalion and of course, the BBA Revolution," Kenny explained. "I think there are a few other beybladers competing too, not sure of their names though. But that's not our problem – we'll need two other bladers to join us. Your old friend, Andrew maybe?" Kenny replied, looking at Tyson. "He'd love to compete."

Tyson grinned. "That would be good."

"This tournament is going to be awesome!" Max cheered.

Rei nodded. "We'll get to see some of our old friends we met on our earlier travels," he remarked.

"You guys better make it to the finals," said Tyson, grinning.

"Don't doubt us Tyson, we'll make it," commented Max, also smiling.

Though Tyson was smiling on the outside, doubt lingered in his mind.

.

Wrapping his scarf around his neck, Kai walked towards the Blade Sharks warehouse. Once he had been captain of the team, leading raids on lesser opponents and stealing their blades. And for what? He questioned himself. For revenge? For personal satisfaction? He shook his head and dug his hands into his pockets. He didn't like reflecting on the past. The past brought back bitter memories and invoked angry emotions within him. What was Carlos thinking?

Quickly, he continued his path towards his destination ignoring the bystanders that watched him. He didn't care for the others; they weren't bladers and therefore, weren't a challenge. A young kid stopped and looked at Kai. Kai glared and the kid quickly moved. He smirked to himself. Fool, he thought.

After walking several metres, Kai was stopped by another kid. Kai growled inwardly with annoyance. People should know better than to approach him. He glared at the kid, expecting him to move like the other. But the kid stayed put. An unexplainable feeling surfaced within Kai. He wasn't used to kids not running away from him. He glanced over at the kid and frowned. Why was the kid just standing there? Shouldn't he be with the other kids' blading in the streets? Feeling uneasy, Kai changed direction and walked away.

He covered several metres when a voice called out his name. "Kai." He halted, turned around and glanced down. Cold, blue eyes stared up at him. "I need to talk to you."

"Give me a reason why I should waste time spending to a kid," Kai spat bitterly. Twisting his heel, he prepared to walk away when the kid suddenly appeared in front of him. Kai halted again. "What do you want?" he snapped.

"Tyson's in trouble, Kai," the kid replied, his voice devoid of any emotion.

Kai rolled his eyes. "Tyson's always in trouble."

The kid didn't blink. "This is different."

"Quit wasting my time and speak your mind," he demanded, his patience wearing thin. "What trouble is he in and why are you telling me this? Second question first."

"The world of beyblading is under threat as we speak. You will fuel this evil and be the cause of Tyson's downfall," the kid said, keeping his gaze focused on Kai. "No matter what you do you will always be in opposition to Tyson," he added.

Kai flinched. Who was this fool? "You know nothing!"

The kid remained calm. "I see the future Kai, it's inevitable. Every decision you make will pit you against Tyson and his friends. Let me show you..." he said, moving towards Kai.

Kai took a step back. "Show me what?"

"The future," he said and without warning, he placed his finger against Kai's forehead...

_The Future_

Kai looked around and gasped at what he saw. Buildings lay in ruins, corpses littered the streets and the strong stench of smoke filled the air. In the distance, he could see a bright conflagration in the distance. Panic took hold of his mind. The emotion was overpowering and unlike anything he had felt before. He didn't feel fear... until now. He tried to call out to his friends but his throat was too dry.

"Kai, I wish to thank you," a familiar voice said.

Kai turned around and gasped. "...grandfather?" he whispered.

A sinister grin appeared on his face. "Indeed, so glad you remember me."

"What do you want?"

"To thank you of course! My dearest grandson, you've achieved everything I could've hoped for. You've brought the beyblading world to its knees, you stole the bitbeasts from the tournament and you defeated Tyson and his pesky friends," he said. He dug his hands into his pocket and pulled out a black beyblade and offered it to Kai. "And you have Black Dranzer to thank. Take it Kai, and embrace the power she has given you."

Kai considered his offer. Black Dranzer had caused problems for him in the past, corrupting him and turning him against his friends. This time was no different... except for one thing. He had defeated Tyson, his biggest rival. Accepting Black Dranzer now would make him the strongest and most feared beyblader on the planet. He smirked to himself and grabbed the blade from Voltaire. "I accept."

_The Present_

"That is your future, Kai," the kid said, staring at him, his eyes never blinking. "It is your destiny and it can't be changed."

Kai was in too much shock to respond. He didn't believe... he refused to believe. No one could predict the future. The future could always change. He had to have hope. "I don't believe you. Destiny can be changed."

"Every decision you make will result in the scene I showed you."

Kai shook his head. "No. I believe in free will, not in destiny."

The kid closed his eyes. "I'm sorry Kai, but my predictions are never wrong," he said. "I am Brendan and everything I tell you, will happen," he added, before turning his back on Kai. "I must leave now."

Without sparing another word, Brendan walked off in the opposite direction leaving Kai standing alone. Kai reached a hand down into his pocket and pulled out Dranzer. "Destiny can be changed."

.

Minor edits made in this chapter. Reviews appreciated!


	4. A Question of Fate

**Disclaimer**

The rights to Beyblade belong to Takao Aoki.

**Title**

A Hero's Last Cry

**Summary**

Tyson is keen to defend his title for the fourth time in a row, but things might not be so easy this time. A number of villains emerge and Tyson finds it hard to determine who is friend or foe. Is this the end of the champion's reign?

**Special Thanks**

Desastrus, Anjanie and Kiray Himawari for reviewing the previous chapter

**Soundtrack**

'Slip to the Void' by Alter Bridge

**.**

**Chapter Four: A Question of Fate**

Kai was torn. Could destiny be changed? He wanted to believe it; wanted to believe his grisly fate could be avoided. But the vision was so realistic he could envision himself surrendering to temptation. If Voltaire offered him a chance of unimaginable power... would he be able to resist using it? He wanted to believe he could but he wasn't sure. He had given into temptation once and the consequences were great.

In accepting Boris's offer, he had willingly betrayed his friends. He had turned his back on the people who treated with kindness and respect. He had thrown their trust back in their face as soon as he accepted Black Dranzer. He used evil for his own purposes and didn't care for the results. Of course, Tyson and his friends managed to open his eyes and make him realize he was liked. To make him feel appreciated. He would not turn on Tyson. He would not turn back on the only people who cared.

Brendan had to be wrong. It wasn't possible someone could see into the future. Brooklyn had claimed he could... but he faltered. Destiny can be changed as long as hope existed. Without hope, all was lost. Kai continued to walk in the direction of the Blade Sharks warehouse. He wanted answers and Carlos would provide him them. Something just didn't add up; how could Carlos become so strong all of a sudden? And why would he turn against Tyson? Surely, this couldn't be about the upcoming world championships.

Thinking about the world championships made Kai question his beyblading future. Did he want to continue to blading? Or was it time to sit back and let someone else experience the thrill of competing? He had failed his goal in beating Tyson three times. Why spend another year trying to win a lost cause? Tyson had proved he was the better blader. The edges of Kai's mouth tipped into a soft smile. The inability to beat Tyson had always bothered him but for once in his life, he didn't care. What was important was ensuring Tyson remained out of harm's way and that meant blading for Tyson.

He glanced down at Dranzer again. "Ready for another year?" he asked his loyal partner. The blade shone as if Dranzer could read Kai's thoughts. He smirked and pocketed the blade away. "I'll take that as a 'yes'." He walked several more blocks down the street before reaching his destination. Informing Tyson of his change of heart could wait until later.

"Kai!" a voice called out his name causing him to freeze in his tracks. "I've been looking for you."

Kai turned around expecting to see Carlos. A pair of cold, blue eyes stared back at him. "Tala?" he asked, surprised. Tala was the last person he expected to see. "What are you doing here?" he asked coldly. He might've bladed alongside Tala twice, but it didn't mean they were good friends.

Tala sighed. "Standoffish as always... but I never expected you to change." Tala reached into his pocket and pulled out a note. "Believe it or not, I'm here to help you."

Kai snorted gently. "To help? I don't need your help Tala." Tala sighed again and handed the note to Kai. Kai scanned the note quickly, his mind absorbing the information. "Voltaire is back?" Kai asked, looking up from the note.

"Why else do you think I'm here?" Tala replied curtly. "Not here for a holiday that's for sure."

Sarcastic as always, thought Kai shaking his head. "He asked you to pass this message onto me?" Kai asked suspiciously.

Tala shook his head. "I'm never going to work for Voltaire again Kai. It was Mr. Dickenson who gave it to me."

Dickenson? Kai arched his brows glancing back down at the letter again. Why would Mr. Dickenson forward a letter to Kai from Voltaire? Tala was right. Something was wrong. Kai looked back at Tala for answers. "Well?"

Tala shrugged. "He wouldn't tell me why. He just told me to make sure you got the letter."

Kai fell silent. His thoughts drifted back to Brendan's vision. Voltaire coming back obviously meant trouble. He wandered what sort of chaos he would ignite this time round. Surely he had learnt from previous mistakes stealing bitbeasts wasn't going to work? Or was there a greater plan here at work? "Tala... have you seen Carlos?"

"Carlos?" he repeated. "Who is Carlos?"

Kai remembered Tala hadn't seen Carlos before. "Used to be an old friend of mine," he explained. "He's a rookie beyblader."

"Then why are you concerned about a rookie?"

"He defeated Tyson and as a result, Dragoon disappeared," Kai said. "Don't ask why," he added, noticing Tala was about to interrogate him. "I need to find Carlos."

"I'll help you," Tala remarked. "You're blading with us this year I assume?"

Kai nodded. "Yes but now is not the time for that Tala... Carlos needs to be found." He started walking in the direction of the warehouse. "Come along if you want to, but stay out of my way."

"As you wish," he replied sarcastically. "Lead the way."

.

Rei left the dojo to meet his friends at the airport. Upon arrival, he was glad to know they were there waiting for him already. At least he didn't have to spend several hours by himself. "Rei!" Lee called out giving Rei a small wave. Mariah, Kevin and Gary also waved.

Rei grinned in reply and walked over to join his team. "Ready for the championships?"

Lee nodded. "Of course Rei."

Mariah stepped forward and smiled. "Glad to have you back Rei. This time we will win."

Rei admired their passion. Sure, they weren't the Bladebreakers, but at least they had spirit. "I'm glad to be back." He smiled softly. "This time we get to compete as a team." The new rules implemented meant each member of a team had a chance to blade. Rei thought the idea was fair and just.

"I'll get the chance to show you boys what a girl can do," Mariah said smugly, pulling out her pink launcher. "Beyblading just isn't for boys you know," she added teasingly. "Hey, wouldn't it be awesome if a girl won?"

Rei and Lee exchanged smiles. It would be nice, but neither male knew a girl strong enough to beat Tyson at his worst. If they couldn't beat him at his lowest, what chance did they have of beating him at his peak? "That would be nice, but unfortunately I don't think there's a female blader strong enough to take on Tyson," Rei said.

Mariah pouted and crossed her arms over her chest. "Hmph. Where's the faith, Rei?" she asked, turning her back to him, eyes closed. After a few seconds of stony silence, Mariah opened her eyes and gently laughed. "I know its wishful thinking. Beyblading is dominated by men, but that doesn't mean us girls are weak."

Rei shook his head. He had faced some tough female bladers in the past. "Do you know what team we're facing off against first?" he asked, looking at Lee.

Lee nodded and pulled out a small paper document from his pocket. He unfolded the paper and gave it to Rei. "We're going up against some team called the Spin-Shepards."

Rei raised an eyebrow. "Spin-Shepards?" The name sounded familiar.

Lee nodded again. "We faced them in the lead up to the finals in Asia."

"Bobby, Doug and Bruno right?" Rei asked, remembering the names.

Mariah nodded. "Do you remember when Kevin complained because Lee replaced him with Gary?" she asked, turning to face the big, bulky blader. "Do you remember Gary? You were distracted by food and you lost the match."

Gary smiled goofily and continued to eat his donut happily. Food was more important than beyblading. "I remember," he replied slowly, licking his fingers clean off the cinnamon.

Kevin, the shortest member of the team, rolled his eyes. "I told you I was the better beyblader," he said.

Rei grinned. Not as entertaining as watching Tyson and Daichi argue, but it was enough. "Come on guys, there's no need to argue. Kevin," he said, turning to address the smaller blader. "The new rules will allow you to compete. Each blader gets to blade, makes it fair," he explained. "Unlike last year," he pointed out. Now that he thought about it the rules were unfair. Only the two best bladers had a chance to compete. The negatives outweighed the positives. "Who wants to blade first?" he asked, taking out a small notepad and pen.

Kevin stepped forward and put his hand up in the air. "I want to blade first!"

Rei nodded and write down Kevin's name. He turned to face Gary. "Gary, you want to blade next?"

The big blader nodded. "Okay."

He turned turning to look at the last two remaining members of the team. "Who wants the last position?"

"I'll do it," Mariah said. "Haven't bladed in a few years."

"It'll be good for practice," Lee added. "Spin-Shepards aren't that strong. It'll give Gary, Kevin and Mariah a chance to hone their skills," he explained. "Our taxi just arrived," he said, pointing to an orange cab. "It'll take us straight to the hotel near the tournament," he added, noticing Rei's confused look.

"I'll meet you guys there later; I need to go and pack my stuff," he said. "Bye." Lee nodded and led his team over to cab. Rei watched them for a few minutes before heading back towards his home.

.

Max had promised to meet his mother and his teammates at the train station. He couldn't wait to tell her how much he had improved since their last meeting. "Mum!" he cried, spotting the coach of the PPB All Stars up ahead.

Hearing her name, Judy turned around and spotted Max. "Max!" she replied warmly, embracing her son in a tight hug. Behind her, the rest of the All Stars exited the train.

A tall, burly male with headphones on stepped forward. "So, the little runt is back?" he asked, in a slightly teasing voice.

Max grinned. "It's good to see you too, Rick." Rick snorted gently in reply and returned his attention back on his small radio. Max raised his eyebrows in confusion.

Michael glanced over at Rick then back at Max. He shrugged. "Judy offered to buy him an Ipod, but he refused." He shook his head. "He never turns it off either."

"Really?" Max asked. "Why not?"

Michael shrugged again. "Well as long as he keeps his headphones in, I don't care how often he plays his music," he commented.

"It's when the headphones come out there's trouble," Eddy said softly. "Have you heard about the new rules?"

Max nodded. "Yes, Kenny explained them. I think it's an improvement from previous tournaments, at least we all get a fair shot this time." Although he enjoyed representing the team, he knew they couldn't be classified as one. Being a team was a collaborative effort, not a solo one. It would be nice to compete alongside his old friends. "A lot of good beybladers missed out last year."

Emily stepped forwards and pulled out a clipboard and pen. "We're going up against Spintensity for the first round. Frankie, Luiz and Mario. You remember Mario right? The friend you made during our charity match?" she asked, peering at Max through her glasses.

Max nodded. He had met Mario during a charity match against local celebrities. At first the battle had gone against them, but with determination and teamwork, Max, Mario and Emily pulled a victory. "I remember you telling us to back off," Max said, smiling at Emily's disgruntled expression. "I think I taught you something about teamwork that day."

Emily rolled her eyes. Discussing teamwork wasn't high on her priority list, but she had learnt something from Max that day. Not that she would ever admit it openly. "Spintensity aren't the strongest team around so we'll have no trouble advancing." She flipped through the papers in her clipboard. "Now... I have the data results here somewhere..."

Max laughed and placed a hand over the clipboard stopping Emily. "We don't need to rely on data, Emily. Human spirit overcomes science any day." He smiled at his teammates and frowned at their confused expressions. "Haven't I taught you guys anything?" The All Stars remained silent. "We don't need data; data can be wrong."

Eddy nodded. "Yeah, he's right. Drop the data, Emily."

Emily wrinkled her nose in disgust and placed the clipboard away. "Fine, but don't ask me for any data."

"Who wants to blade first?" Max asked. "I think we should decide on the line up now to prevent any arguments on the day."

"Good idea Max," commented Eddy. "I think you guys," he said, referring to Rick and Max," Should blade later. You guys have had the most experience, and I think it's only fair the rest of us get a chance to practice our skills in a competitive environment," he explained. The others murmured in agreement.

Rick nodded. "We don't want them falling behind and dragging us down," he commented, glancing over at Michael. Michael glared, but didn't respond.

Judy smiled. "That's a good idea Max. I'll take down the names. Any volunteers?"

"I'll blade first," Emily said.

"I bags going next," Eddy mentioned.

"I'll go third. I haven't bladed since I broke my leg," Steve muttered.

Michael frowned. "Great, get to sit on the benches for the opening rounds..." he muttered.

"You'll get a shot in the next rounds which are more difficult," Max said, reassuring his friend. "Besides, the opening rounds are pretty boring anyway and they're pretty simple," he added. "Mum," he said. "Are we heading towards the tournament hotel now?"

Judy nodded. "The rooms have all been booked and all our belongings are there now. Don't worry, our belongings are very secure. Top-notch security," she said with a wink. "Our taxi waits." She walked over to the white cab, followed by the rest of the team. Max grinned to himself. He couldn't wait for the tournament to start. And perhaps this time, he would win.

.

I hope you're enjoying this, I know I'm having fun writing it. Reviews are much appreciated – let me know what you think.


	5. Destiny vs Free Will

**Disclaimer**

The rights to Beyblade belong to Takao Aoki.

**Title**

A Hero's Last Cry

**Summary**

Tyson is keen to defend his title for the fourth time in a row, but things might not be so easy this time. A number of villains emerge and Tyson finds it hard to determine who is friend or foe. Is this the end of the champion's reign?

**Special Thanks**

Anjanie, Omegaxis1, Kiray Himawari and Desastrus for their reviews on the last chapter

**Soundtrack**

'Breakdown' by Breaking Benjamin

**.**

**Chapter Five: Destiny vs. Free Will**

"Tell me about this...Carlos," Tala started, looking for a conversation starter. Anything was better than walking in complete silence. He wasn't very social himself, but the silence made him uneasy. "Kai?" he asked, casting a sideways glance at Kai. It was hard starting conversations with the man. Usually when Kai spoke he was insulting someone.

Kai sighed and shook his head. Why had he let Tala accompany him again? He sighed again. He couldn't stop Tala from tagging along. "Carlos and I used to be in a blading gang called The Blade Sharks," he explained slowly. "I was the leader of the group," he added. "And I deemed him unworthy of being a blader so he left." Kai closed his eyes and replayed the scene of crushing Carlos's blade under his shoe.

Tala raised an eyebrow. "Unworthy of being a blader?" he asked unsure. "What did he do to you, Kai? Steal your beyblade?" he asked sarcastically.

Kai shook his head again. He disliked talking about the past, but Tala was persistent and would not stop until he was satisfied with an answer. "We stole beyblades from the local kids after a battle was lost," Kai replied, regrettably. It wasn't something he was proud of, but he had his reasons. He had learnt a lot since his blading career began. "We're here," he said, coming to an abrupt halt.

Tala came to a sudden stop and glanced up ahead at the warehouse. He raised an eyebrow. "This was your base?" he asked, sounding incredulous. "It's basically falling apart Kai."

Kai rolled his eyes. Obviously. "The warehouse hasn't been used in years Tala," he explained. Until now. Carlos had battled Tyson in this warehouse and came out as the victor. He tightened his jaw and walked towards the building, his hand in his left jeans pocket. The tips of his fingers traced the hard surface of his beyblade. He would challenge Carlos... and win. Together the two walked inside the warehouse.

"Kai."

.

Hilary walked down the hallways searching for Tyson. She needed to inform him about the upcoming matches and locations. Darting her eyes around the hallway, she stopped when she heard a beyblade spinning in a nearby room. Following the source of the noise, she wasn't surprised to see Tyson watching his beyblade spin. "Tyson!" Hilary called out his name, grabbing his attention instantly.

"What's up Hils?" he asked, referring to her nickname. He was the only one who was allowed to call her 'Hils'.

She walked over to stand next to him. "I have the match schedules here, I thought you might want to check them out," she said, handing him the sheets.

Tyson grabbed them and nodded. "Thanks Hil." He gazed down at the papers. He wouldn't be battling until day three against the Spin Shepards. That wasn't a bad start; at least he wouldn't be going up against the likes of Rei, Max and Kai. He didn't think he'd be able to blade his best immediately, especially without his Dragoon. He gazed out the window.

Hilary followed his gaze and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Everything is going to be alright, Tyson."

He forced a grim smile. Could he achieve the impossible? Could he blade without Dragoon's aid? Of course you can, a voice said inside his head. The voice was right; he was fully capable of defeating the Spin Shepards without Dragoon. "Do you think I can win Hilary?" he asked, turning to face her. His dark brown eyes stared intensely into her eyes as he waited for an answer.

"Of course you can Tyson," she said, smiling softly. "This is just another obstacle for you to overcome," she added.

Hilary was right. Battling without Dragoon was just an obstacle to overcome."Yeah," he replied. "Just another obstacle." He turned away from Hilary and looked out the window again glancing down at the stadium. In a few short days, the stadium would be filled with screaming, critical fans. His fans would expect him to perform up to his usual standard, but he wasn't certain he could give his best.

Would he be able to perform to his usual standard? Or would he be the laughing stock of the entire beyblading community? He knew the fans would turn against him the moment he failed to show his usual skill. The fans would assume he was playing poorly to make a mockery of his opponent. He couldn't allow that to happen.

In three days he would know whether or not, he could blade without Dragoon.

.

Kai stopped and glanced around the warehouse looking for a sign of Carlos. It was hard to see due to the dim lighting of the room, but he could make out a figure standing on the opposite side. "Carlos," he replied. "I'm not surprised you're still slumming around in the shadows." Long ago, Carlos would've have trembled at the sound of Kai's voice, but not anymore. Past experiences had turned him into a tougher person.

A smirk crossed Carlos' features. "Well look what the cat dragged in," he said. He glanced at Kai's companion and frowned. "Who is this Kai? Some poor ragged blader off the streets?" he mocked, eyeing the blader up and down.

"I'm Tala, captain of the Blitzkrieg Boys," Tala stated proudly.

Carlos didn't seem to care; the Blitkzkrieg Boys didn't mean anything to him. He turned his attention away from Tala who frowned and focused on Kai again. "I take it you're here for Tyson then?" he asked snidely, watching Kai carefully.

"Why did you do it?" Kai demanded. "Why did you challenge Tyson to a beybattle?"

Carlos moved closer towards Kai, and wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Tyson embarrassed me years ago Kai and I wanted my revenge. Like you, I wasn't going to accept defeat," he said, pointing at Kai.

Kai snorted. "I'm nothing like you," he replied.

The edges of Carlos's mouth curved into a sneer. "We're very alike Kai... after all I learnt my lessons from you." He dug into his pocket and pulled out his blade. "And I learnt new lessons along the way."

Kai couldn't believe what he hearing. Carlos had taken a Boris-type spirit journey to become a better man, but he would not be fooled. What stayed rotten remained rotten; there were no exceptions to this. "What's your primary goal Carlos?" Kai asked. "World recognition? To beat Tyson? If it's the latter you will fail in your attempt." It was not possible to beat Tyson at his best. Not only was Tyson a powerful beyblader, his overpowering passion for the game could not be beaten. Sure, he had a setback but he always came out as a better blader.

"Why did I undertake a spirit journey?" he asked, pointing at himself. "The world needs a true beyblader, not a fake like Tyson. Tyson didn't win his battles alone, he had assistance; the Bladebreakers. A true beyblader wins without any form of support; he doesn't fight on a team." Carlos stated.

Kai shook his head. "And that's why you will lose, Carlos. Your own arrogance will be your defeat." He had seen it all before. Overconfidence results in failure and loss.

He smirked. "Whatever decisions you decide to make Kai, you will always end up in opposition to Tyson. It's your destiny; you can't fight it. Tyson will always be a stronger blader than you Kai, but you can defeat him." Carlos's eyes glinted maliciously, revealing sadism Kai had never seen before. "You came close before..." he said, staring deeply into Kai's eyes.

Tala placed his hand on Kai's shoulder. "Don't believe a word he says Kai. He's the same as Boris... a liar," he spoke quietly, removing his hand. "What is it with bad guys undertaking spirit journeys?"

Kai could have sworn his blood had frozen. He knew exactly what Carlos had meant. Black Dranzer. The bitbeast had almost destroyed him. "Black Dranzer," he whispered, more to himself than anyone. He did not want to use the bitbeast again, no matter how powerful it may be. Defeating Tyson wasn't his goal anymore; protecting Tyson from danger had taken over as top priority. He shook his head. "Black Dranzer no longer exists."

Carlos tilted his head to the left and sighed heavily. "You really believe that, Kai?" he demanded. "Black Dranzer exists."

Tala moved closer to Kai's side. "And how would you know about Black Dranzer?" he asked, his ice blue eyes staring straight into Carlos's dark orbs. "You're in league with Voltaire, aren't you?" he asked suspiciously.

Carlos rolled his eyes. "In league with Voltaire?" he asked, faking surprise. "Voltaire doesn't have a leash on me if that's what you're implying." He shook his head. "No, I'm here for my own reasons as I've already told you; to win the upcoming tournament and show the world what a true champion beyblader is." He smirked triumphantly. "Tyson doesn't stand a chance without his bitbeast."

Kai growled, dug a hand into his pocket and pulled out his beyblade. "Tyson might not have a bitbeast... but I do," he stated vehemently.

Carlos raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Did I touch a nerve? Big, tough Kai Hiwatari turning soft?" he mocked in a baby-like voice. "I never knew you cared for Tyson? I thought you'd do anything to ensure he lost?" he asked.

Kai shook his head. "I've learned from my past mistakes. I've realized there are more important things to worry about than defeating Tyson." Hiro's harsh words about Kai and his goal came back to him. At the time he was angry; bitter and determined to prove Hiro wrong, but he was right. Pouring heart and soul into an unachievable goal was pointless. Better to use his skills in something that could actually be achieved.

"The Hiwatari Bloodline is cursed Kai," Carlos said, brows furrowed in frustration. "Your parents are dead, Voltaire became leader of an evil cooperation and you became Boris's favourite." Tala frowned at this. He was Boris's favourite until Kai took Black Dranzer.

If Kai was hurt by Carlos' words, he didn't show it. Instead, he remained calm. "Blood doesn't determine destiny Carlos," Kai said, through gritted teeth. He was determined to prove everyone one. It was not possible for a kid to predict the future. He would prove Brendan wrong. Destiny could be changed. He glanced over his shoulder and cast his eyes down at Carlos's bitbeast. "You may think you have the upper hand, but you will lose Carlos. It's only a matter of time." Kai knew from personal experience. The odds were against him in his rematch against Brooklyn, but he defied the odds and won. He knew Carlos could be defeated.

Carlos shrugged. "I'll see you in the tournament Kai," he spat, turning his back on the Russian. "And I will win."

.

The plot thickens! Share your thoughts with me by a review!


	6. The Calm Before the Storm

**Disclaimer**

The rights to Beyblade belong to Takao Aoki.

**Title**

A Hero's Last Cry

**Summary**

Tyson is keen to defend his title for the fourth time in a row, but things might not be so easy this time. A number of villains emerge and Tyson finds it hard to determine who is friend or foe. Is this the end of the champion's reign?

**Special Thanks**

Anjanie, ayushi, Kiray Himawari, Desastrus and Omegaxis1 for reviewing the previous chapter!

**Soundtrack**

'Now or Never' by Josh Groban

**.**

**Chapter Six: The Calm Before the Storm**

The taxi cab pulled up beside a large white complex, next to a sign reading 'PBB Research Facility'. Judy stepped out of the vehicle, closely followed behind by the rest of her team. With her a clipboard underneath her right arm, Judy led her team towards the entrance. "Douglas has resigned from the top job, but he still works here," Judy said, leading her team through various hallways. Scientists in white lab coats hurried around the building, muttering under their breaths ignoring the presence of the bladers.

"They're just ignoring us," Max said, watching as two scientists walked past him, their heads facing the ground.

Emily shrugged. "Things have changed a bit around here since Douglas resigned last year. Your mother now runs the company and she works the researchers hard," she added, grinning in Judy's direction.

"What are they working on?"

"We don't know," Michael replied flatly, "Judy won't say. She says its top secret."

"It's probably some new fitness program they're working on," Steve said, carrying a football under his left arm. "We have to be in shape if we want to do well." Eddie and Michael both murmured in agreement.

Rick smirked. "Yeah, some of us really need to get into shape."

A low growl escaped Steve's throat. "Take that back, Rick!" He clenched his fist and shook it at the taller blader's face.

"Hey calm down, Steve. I was just fooling around," Rick replied, hands up in the air.

Eddy's eyes looked up and down Steve. "He does have a good point, Steve. You _are_ getting flabby." He pointed to Steve's stomach. Beneath the hemline of his shirt, white flesh could be seen.

"It's this shirt!" Steve protested, pulling it down to cover his stomach, "It's too small for me now! I've grown out of it." The other boys laughed, while Emily rolled her eyes at their immature antics.

The laughter soon died down. Michael turned to Max, a smirk crossing his face. Max knew that look could only mean trouble and he wondered what crazy ideas the captain had in mind. His suspicion deepened when Michael leaned in close to Eddie and whispered into his ear, causing the taller African-American to laugh out loud. Both of them glanced at Max. "Okay, what's so funny?" Max demanded.

"Michael wants to set you up on a date with Emily," Eddie replied, barely unable to contain himself.

Max's jaw dropped. "What?" A date with Emily? He glanced at her. Sure, she was a smart girl, but she wasn't interested in him. He was just the blader with the infectious personality. And besides, he wasn't really that interested in dating anyway. Family was his top priority followed closely by beyblading. "You're joking, right?"

Michael shook his head. "You're a natural flirt, Max. I've heard a bit about your flirtatious activities since you've been on your own." He nudged Max in the ribs and winked. "I heard that you thought Hilary was cute."

"I was being nice, alright?"

Eddie smirked. "And you and Mariam got close."

"She is hot though," Michael replied, stroking his chin thoughtfully.

Frowning, Max replied with a flat tone, "Mariam needed my help."

"Oh, we can't forget the rumour Max dyes his hair to impress the girls." Max felt his stomach muscles tighten. They could tell? A change of topic was needed before this conversation turned into something naughty, but alas he could not think of anything to say in his defence. "Why don't you give us some tips?" Michael asked expression now serious.

"Yeah, Rick could really use some tips to pick up chicks," Eddie added, darting a quick glance at the bulky blader.

Rick crossed his arms over his chest and snorted, "I don't need advice."

Michael and Eddie exchanged glances then burst out laughing. Max was secretly thankful Rick had become their target for teasing. Rick caught his eye and rolled his eyes and Max grinned in response. It felt good to be back at home.

.

Judy left her team behind letting them entertain themselves and headed towards the main office building. She entered the code and walked through the doors and sat down at the desk. A man sat on the opposite side of the black leather chair, his elbows placed on the desk. He glanced up at her with a knowing look then motioned for her to sit down. "We have much to discuss you and I."

She nodded and took her seat, pushing back a strand of blonde hair away from her face. "Yes, Douglas." Although she was the company boss, Douglas still owned the business. He gave her commands and she carried them out, her staff members believing she was the one in charge. "What do you wish to discuss?"

Douglas leaned over the table. "I want to talk about your role in the upcoming tournament." His eyes lingered on her face.

She shifted uncomfortably in her chair. "I understand my role."

"Are you sure you can do it? You know how important it is to win this tournament. The future of this company depends on it."

She nodded again, dropping her hands on her lap. "It will be hard to convince him to leave the job, Douglas."

That angered him. He balled his fist and slammed it down on the table causing it to shudder. She winced. "You will do everything in your power to convince him to resign." He reached out and cupped her chin. "_Everything. _Do you understand?"

Once again she nodded. "Yes, Douglas."

"You will not fail me again."

Judy nodded, rose up from her chair and exited the office. She walked down the hall for a couple of metres then leaned against the wall, slipping to the ground. She hugged her knees to her chest, then placed her head in her hands, letting forbidden tears fall.

.

Two young teenagers, both male, stood at opposite ends of a dish in the ground, both their eyes fixed on the action taking place. Two metal spinning tops clash, sending sparks in many directions. The male on the right, a tall, lanky figure, wipes his brow nervously as he watches the battle. The spinning tops clash again with a collision so powerful, both teenagers were thrown off balance.

SKKKRRZZZTTT! The spinning tops collided once again. Once more, both males stumbled backwards from the impact. Regaining his composure, the lanky male ran a hand through his blonde hair. "Pretty good, Billy," he remarked, a grin crossing his features. "But not good enough!" he declared, pointing his finger to the sky. "Go!"

The male named Billy scoffed in reply. "Nice try, Andrew. But you're going to have to do better than that to beat me!" he stated, with a sudden burst of confidence. "Spinja!" At the mention of its name, the spinning top halted in its course of action. "Attack! Full force!" Spinja spun around the dish several times, building up speed before launching itself at its opponent.

Andrew bit his lip. Sweat beads formed upon his forehead. He wasn't sure how he was going to combat Billy's attack. "Don't give up!" he yelled, although it was clear who the victor was. "Full power!" In a final desperate chance to grasp victory from the jaws of defeat, Andrew poured all his energy into his final attack. One chance… the blades clashed again and the impact was strong enough to cause one bit of Andrew's attack ring to fly and hit him in the cheek, signifying the end of the battle.

"Good battle, Andrew," Billy commented, walking into the dish to collect his blade. "You have improved."

Andrew nodded. "As have you," he replied, also walking into the dish to collect his own. "Do you think we have a chance in qualifying for the world tournament?" he asked.

Billy shrugged. "Hopefully. It'd be nice to compete against world-class bladers," he commented thoughtfully. "I'd love to compete against Tyson again," he added as an afterthought.

Nodding in agreement, Andrew turned to face the street Tyson lived on. "I wonder how he is…I haven't heard from him since he faced Carlos four years ago," he said, fingering his blade checking the damage.

Billy's eyebrows rose. "He's probably preparing to defend his title again."

Andrew shook his head. "I don't know how he manages it, you'd think he'd get bored of winning all the time." he answered. "It'd be nice to see him again though. What do you think he is doing?"

"Based on my knowledge of Tyson, I'm sure he's lounging around eating," he commented, with a chuckle. "Or," he shrugged again, "maybe he's running away from kendo lessons."

The corners of Andrew's mouth curved into a smile. "Sounds like Tyson. I'm going to pay him a visit, wanna come?"

Billy nodded. "Sure, maybe he can share a few tips with us," he responded, following Andrew's lead.

.

After spending some time bearing the brunt of Michael and Eddie's jokes, Max had decided to leave his teammates for the afternoon. Getting some fresh would help clear his mind about the upcoming events. Fortunately, Rei had the same idea and the two met at the local café. "Are Michael and Eddy giving you a rough time?"

Max shook his head. "They were attempting to set me up on a date with Emily." He shuddered.

Rei chuckled at his words. "Not looking to love something else other than beyblading?"

"Not you too," Max groaned, bringing his hands to his face.

"It's alright, I'm just kidding." He grabbed his bottle of coke and brought it to his lips, letting the liquid run down his parched throat. "Are you ready for the first match?" Rei asked, grabbing his bottle of coke.

Max nodded, and took the cap off his own bottle. "I'm ready. What about you?" he asked.

"Yeah, it's certainly been awhile though since we've battled in a tournament," he said.

"It's only been a year," Max pointed out. "It hasn't been that long."

Rubbing his temples, the Chinese blader sighed. "It's just… this year will be different from last year. Tyson doesn't have a bitbeast," Rei explained. "What if he and his team don't make it through the first round? Then guys like Boris and Carlos will create so much chaos I doubt we could stop it," he continued.

Max forced a grim smile. The same thoughts had clouded his mind since hearing about Tyson's loss to Carlos. "We have to believe Tyson can pull through this; he's been down in the dumps before, but he's always managed to pull himself out, right?" Max asked, trying to remain positive. "He needs our support." Tyson was a friend. Although they may fight on different teams, their bond would never break.

Rei sighed again. "I understand what you're saying Max… but… it's going to be hard to support him, when we're on different sides of the playing field. I'm having second thoughts."

Max brought the bottle to his lips and took a few sips of his drink, before placing it back down on the table. "Tyson wants us to blade on our respective teams, Rei. If we face him, we have to give him our best, otherwise he'll think we're taking him for a weakling," Max replied, trying to be reasonable. He didn't like fighting handicapped beybladers, but he didn't want to break Tyson's promise. "We promised we'd fight our best," he added. He glanced around his surroundings then frowned. "Do the White Tigers know about Tyson?"

Rei shook his head. "No, they don't know. I'm guessing the All Stars don't know either about the situation?" Max shook his head. "I thought as much. I think it's best if we don't tell the others," he said. "I know my teammates would decrease the intensity in battle if they knew about his situation and Tyson wouldn't want that."

Max nodded, agreeing with Rei's words. "My team would act differently. Most likely, they'd double the intensity of their attacks." The All Stars didn't really know Tyson, nor did the White Tigers. "The same goes with the other teams; we're the only ones that really know him."

"We're going to have to pretend like there's nothing wrong," Rei replied thoughtfully, stroking his chin. "This will be hard because we know there is something clearly wrong. I wonder what the issue is with Carlos?"

Max shrugged. "Kai went after him, maybe he knows something?" Rei didn't reply, instead he took a sip of his drink and relaxed. If Carlos could earn himself a powerful bitbeast, what other bladers did? A worrying thought occurred to him. What if all the bad guys suddenly had powerful bitbeasts designed to destroy world class bladers? But where did these bitbeasts come from? What was their purpose?

"Do you think Boris is somehow behind this?" Rei questioned. "Maybe he somehow found ways to give bladers strong bitbeasts? We know he holds a personal grudge against us, especially Tyson."

Max shook his head. "Although that is likely, I highly doubt it. Boris is behind bars, right?" After the BEGA fiasco, Boris was jailed for one life sentence. There was no way he could escape.

"Unless Boris has help," Rei said. "Barthaz was one of his assistants, remember?"

Barthaz! He had almost forgotten about him. It was highly likely Barthaz was following Boris's orders. Barthaz was a devout follower and would carry out any order even if it was against the rules. Max ran a hand through his messy blond hair as he considered the thought of Barthaz creating chaos; however doubt lingered in the back of his mind. "I'm not sure... I don't even think Boris is behind this. He wouldn't try again would he? He's failed twice already," he reasoned.

Rei raised an eyebrow. "You think Boris wouldn't try again?"

"What's his motivation? Take over the world? He's tried that twice; the idea is becoming old."

Rei sighed. "I suppose you are right." Silence fell between the two, when Max suddenly stood up from his seat. Rei glanced up at him, surprised. "What's the matter?" He turned his head to follow Max's gaze. His eyes widened with shock as the two figures became clear; Kai and Tala.

"Kai! Tala!" Max shouted, waving his arms around in the air. Kai heard Max's voice and snapped his head in his direction. He jerked his head for Tala to follow as he walked towards Max and Rei. "What's the matter Kai? Did you find Carlos?" Max questioned.

"Voltaire is back."

.

So, why do you think Voltaire has returned? Let me know your thoughts!


	7. Old Enemies, New Developments

**Disclaimer**

The rights to Beyblade belong to Takao Aoki.

**Title**

A Hero's Last Cry

**Summary**

Tyson is keen to defend his title for the fourth time in a row, but things might not be so easy this time. A number of villains emerge and Tyson finds it hard to determine who is friend or foe. Is this the end of the champion's reign?

**Special Thanks**

Kiray Himawari, ayushi, Anjanie, Ciarawr, Omegaxis1, Desastrus and SgtPepperLHCB for reviewing the last chapter

**Soundtrack**

'Out of the Shadows' by Iron Maiden

**.**

**Chapter Seven: Old Enemies, New Developments**

Max fixed his bright blue eyes on Kai's face. "What?" he asked slowly. "If Voltaire had returned surely the BBA would have been informed?"

Rei forced a bitter laugh to escape his throat. "You're wrong. If Voltaire had returned then the BBA would share the news with the world," Rei said calmly.

Kai shook his head. "I'm not making this information up Rei, Stanley forwarded a letter to me from Voltaire," Kai explained, pausing briefly. "Before you ask, he is not working with Carlos."

Rei arched a brow. "How do you know?" he said.

"Because I spoke to Carlos," Kai replied curtly.

Rei did not question the matter further. Kai wasn't the type to lie about something, especially not a matter as serious as this. Voltaire's return was surely going to cause problems to arise, but what those problems were he couldn't be sure of. Was Voltaire planning on dominating the world once again? Did he plan to steal bitbeasts? Surely he wouldn't use the same failed tactic again? But like they always said, you can't teach an old dog new tricks. "No word about Boris?" Rei asked, raising an eyebrow.

Kai pressed his lips together and shook his head grimly. "No word about Boris, but he's still behind bars anyway. I doubt Voltaire will look to recruit him again, not after his most recent failure," Kai explained. "But I'm certain Boris will cause some form of trouble for us even if he is behind bars."

"Regardless," Max said. "We need to find out what is going on with _both _of them. Who knows what they could be planning? For all we know Boris ending up in jail was simply a diversion for bigger things to happen." His eyes darted between Kai, Rei and Tala as he searched their faces for uncertainty.

Tala grunted, looking sceptical. "What do you mean Max?"

Max sighed. "What if the whole BEGA fiasco was simply just a way to divert attention away from Voltaire?"

Rei stroked his chin. "Max makes a valid point guys. This might have been Boris' plan all along."

Kai and Tala were both quiet, each lost in their own thoughts. If Max's words were true then the Beyblading world was in great danger and the Bladebreakers would be expected to save the world like they had done so many times before. But this time, they would not have the aid of Tyson. Tyson had no bitbeast and until he received it, he was out of the game.

And that wasn't the only thing that concerned Kai. An image of Brendan, the kid with cold blue eyes, flashed before his mind. He spoke with such confidence Kai swore Brendan could see visions... but of course, visions weren't always correct. Brooklyn claimed he could see the future himself, but his visions weren't always accurate. He shook his head, troubled. He would not use Black Dranzer and he would certainly not accept anything from Voltaire. Brendan's visions were a lie... right?

Another thought occurred him. What if Brendan was in league with Voltaire? It would make sense sharing his dark visions of destiny with Kai about destroying Tyson. Voltaire despised Tyson. A smirk crossed his pale features. If Voltaire thought some self-professed prophet was going to change his mind then he was more insane than he thought. He had nothing to fear. "We don't know anything about Voltaire's or Boris' plans," Kai said, breaking the silence. "But we have to find out. I suggest we contact members from BEGA for answers, perhaps they know something?"

"That's a sound plan," Rei remarked. "But we do not have a lot of time. The qualifying rounds are set to begin within the next few days, so if we want information we better start our search immediately."

"Any ideas where to begin?" Max said.

Tala frowned. "Do you honestly think questioning the BEGA members is going to help at all?" Three pairs of eyes looked at him blankly. He sighed. "Look, we're not exactly on good terms with BEGA. Remember... Garland left me in a coma. Brooklyn almost killed you Kai. I don't let go of things like that easily," he added.

"We have to move on from the past Tala, the world is in great danger," Kai reasoned.

"I know the things BEGA did were rotten, but they were under Boris' influence. It's the same thing you guys went through when you obeyed Boris' commands right?" Rei asked, looking at Tala.

Shaking his head, Tala retorted, "That was different. He brainwashed us with his stupid science experiments."

Rei countered with an explanation of his own. "Boris brainwashed the BEGA members as well, promising them great rewards if they served him well."

Tala sighed. "How on earth do we contact them? Last I heard BEGA HQ collapsed taking down with it all contact information. Heck, I doubt any of them even live in this city anymore. Let's face it; they're not exactly the world's most popular people anymore."

Max raised a hand. "Except for Ming Ming, people seem to love her."

"Love her music... not her personality," Tala scowled.

"Okay so Ming Ming is out of the question, what about Garland?" Rei asked, looking at his friends. "No Garland? That's a shame, if anyone had information it would be him, he was team captain after all."

"Garland and I aren't exactly on good terms," Tala replied, a scowl still on his face. "He never even apologized to me for the coma he put me in," he added bitterly. "I refuse to talk to him until he gives me the apology I deserve."

"I don't think Brooklyn is in town," Kai said. "And it's reasonable to suggest Crusher went back home to be with his recovering sister."

"That leaves Mystel," Max said. "But who knows where that guy is half the time."

"Mariah knows," Rei said, earning three pairs of blank stares. He sighed. "She's been keeping contact with him through letters."

Max's eyes brightened. "That's good news! At least we can contact someone that served Boris."

Kai nodded. "Then it's a plan. We'll head over to your place Rei."

"Let's hope they're not busy practicing... this is important," Rei said, standing up from his chair. Without another a word, Rei led his friends to his house.

.

Living a nomadic style had its perks. For one thing, he did not have to worry about his freedom. He could do whatever he wanted at whatever time he felt was appropriate without a care in the world. There was no one around to tell him how to live his life. Also, it gave him the chance to experience a variety of different sights and sounds, some he might not have the chance if he lived with other people. However, despite the benefits a nomadic lifestyle brought, it was a lonely path to take.

He re-adjusted the golden mask on his face and he made his way to the remains of the BEGA HQ. He wished to keep his identity as secret as possible. The global population might know his name, but they had never seen his face and he planned to keep it that way. Unless of course, he found someone he could trust. Mariah was one of those people. Since the day of the fall he had kept in contact with her, frequently sending her letters when the chance arose.

Her teammates knew about him but on Mariah's behalf, they did not draw the media's attention to him. He knew high ranking bauthorities would love to spend hours interrogating him, trying to find answers about Boris' plans. Boris certainly had plans but he wasn't willing to share them with the world. Boris wasn't evil; just harboured a sickening desire for ultimate power which he thought could only be obtained by controlling the masses.

Needless to say his plan failed.

"Mystel."

He turned around immediately upon hearing his name. "Mariah, I'm surprised you came." He acknowledged her with a nod. "I thought you would've been preparing for the tournament."

She smiled softly and walked towards him. "We've been practicing for hours non-stop, Lee called a break and so I came here." Her smile faded. "You know it's dangerous for you to be here. The blading authorities want you and anyone else involved with BEGA."

"I'm perfectly safe, Mariah." Safer than you will ever know, he thought. Boris wasn't behind bars like the population assumed, but Mariah didn't need to know that. The less she knew about Boris' plans the better. "He won't be able to find me; he's behind bars Mariah," he replied casually, lying through his teeth.

She curled a finger around a lock of hair. "Boris escaped before Mystel, I'm certain he can do it again." She bit her bottom lip. "I haven't forgotten the pain he caused us in the past. Through Boris' actions, Rei was put in a coma."

Did she still have feelings for Rei? Mystel wasn't quite sure. "You could say the same about Tala," he retorted, watching her reaction closely.

"Rei's an old friend Mystel, Tala isn't."

"Doesn't change a thing Mariah," he replied, more coldly than intended. Couldn't Mariah open her eyes and realize Rei wasn't going to connect with her? She had known him all her life and yet Rei never mustered up the courage to profess his love for her despite her claims he loved her. "Does Rei know about us?"

Mariah quickly cast her gaze down at her feet and fidgeted uncomfortably. "Yes."

So Mariah had told Rei about their frequent contacting, but did Rei know they met up occasionally? "What about our occasional meetings? Does he know about them?"

She shook her head. "Rei wouldn't be pleased if he found out... nor would Lee," she said, lifting her head up. "You know he doesn't like you."

Mystel gently snorted. Lee, captain of the White Tiger team and Mariah's older brother. He was stubborn to the core and not afraid to voice his opinion about things that displeased him greatly and that included people. Lee didn't trust him; Mystel didn't blame him though after all, he had never provided a reason for Lee to trust him. That trust would never be earned if Lee discovered Mariah was spending time with him. "Mariah..." he started, gazing at her longingly. He knew she liked him. Why else would she keep his location secret for so long?

Mariah broke Mystel's eye contact and looked away. "I... I have to go," Mariah replied, her cheeks reddening. "I've been out for too long, Lee will probably be wondering where I am." She cared for Rei and she cared for Mystel, but she did not wish to upset her teammates.

As she turned away, he felt a pang of loss. "Good luck in the tournament Mariah... not that you need it or anything," he said. Mariah would need more than luck to survive the upcoming tournament.

"We'll keep in touch... let me know if I can help you with anything," Mariah replied, turning her back. She knew her candid responses hurt, but she needed to keep her distance from him. He worked for Boris. "Bye."

.

Mystel makes his cameo! For those of you who read my other works, you were probably wondering when Mystel was going to show. As always, reviews are much appreciated!


	8. One Step Closer

**Disclaimer**

The rights to Beyblade belong to Takao Aoki.

**Title**

A Hero's Last Cry

**Summary**

Tyson is keen to defend his title for the fourth time in a row, but things might not be so easy this time. A number of villains emerge and Tyson finds it hard to determine who is friend or foe. Is this the end of the champion's reign?

**Special Thanks**

Omegaxis1, SgtPepperLHCB, Anjanie, Desastrus, Nazir1 and Kiray Himawari for reviewing the last chapter

**Soundtrack**

'One Step Closer' by Linkin Park

**.**

**Chapter Eight: One Step Closer**

Rei's house was situated in the countryside on a steep hill in amongst a tiny village, built to replicate his own village back in China. The view on the peak of the hill gave them an excellent view of the city and the ocean behind it. It was also the perfect place to practice because the quiet surroundings allowed a beyblader to concentrate to the best of their ability. Despite the positives, there was one downside. The walk up the hill was exhausting.

Max could feel the back of his legs burn as he struggled to walk up the hill. "I'm... so... tired..." he mumbled in between heavy gasps. Fortunately, he wasn't the only one struggling. Even Kai who was quite athletic was panting heavily.

Rei laughed. "You get used to it. It's good training." And so the small group of beybladers trudged up the hill. After what seemed like hours, they reached the peak. Max's knees buckled and he collapsed in a heap on the grass.

"I am never doing that again," Tala complained, wiping beads of sweat away from his forehead.

Rei opened his mouth reply, but a female voice spoke first. "Oh come on, the hill is not that steep!" Mariah exclaimed, hands on her hips. She glanced down at the boys and shook her head, although a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. "What brings you here so early, Rei? I thought you were going out for tea with your friends?"

"We need to talk, Mariah. It's important."

"What seems to be the problem then?"

Rei glanced over Kai. Kai cleared his throat and stepped forward. "Voltaire is back. I haven't heard from him in years and suddenly he decides to return. And if I know my grandfather as well as I think I do, I'm sure he's going to cause us trouble especially after what happened four years ago," Kai explained, referring to the event in which Voltaire tried to capture all the bitbeasts to turn them into weapons of war.

Mariah lifted a brow. "He needs to be stopped."

Tala nodded. "Exactly, but we don't know where he is. The only person that would have information on Voltaire's location is Boris. Boris served Voltaire for a time, surely he knows something."

"Oh, I'm sure Boris will tell you everything," Mariah muttered, rolling her eyes. "He hates us. What makes you think he's simply going to give us Voltaire's location?"

Rei stood at Mariah's side. "I was thinking you could tell us... You keep in contact with Mystel."

Mariah's gaze hardened. "I'm not going to press him for details. He's been through enough already with the whole BEGA fall out. I don't want to push him through all that again."

"That guy uses way too much hair gel," Max commented. "His hair must be as hard as a rock."

Kai snickered. "Well, at least he doesn't have to worry too much about the wind messing it up." Both boys exchanged high fives chuckling, while Tala shook his head. Rei rolled his eyes, then turned his back to Mariah.

"Mystel's information could save the world from destruction, Mariah," Rei pleaded, looking deeply into her eyes. "I know he's your friend, but the other BEGA members aren't be contacted. No one knows where they have gone, Mystel is our only hope... or would you prefer Voltaire and Boris to succeed?"

She glared at him defiantly, then her gaze softened. She brought her arms around herself and bit her bottom lip. "I haven't asked him..."

"Oh, that's bloody fantastic!" Tala snapped.

Mariah's own temper flared. "What do you expect me to say? Oh, hey Mystel, you worked for Boris once. Care to tell me where he is now? We have some unfinished business with him. I'm sure that would go down well," she retorted. Tala grunted in response, and Mariah turned back to Rei. "Look, I'm sorry Rei, but I can't bring Mystel back into this. He told me he was done with everything related to beyblading."

"And yet he still talks to you," Rei pointed out, feeling a pang of jealousy rise up within. There was nothing special about that blond – sure, he had a set of unique skills, but the guy could not be trusted. Besides, no one would wear a mask unless they were trying to conceal something. Boris wore a mask once to hide his identity. Mystel could be doing the same thing, luring people in only to hurt them later. "You are the reason he's still hanging around here, Mariah. We need to take advantage of your friendship with him to save our world from disaster."

"Why can't you ask someone else? Like Stanley Dickenson or something? Judy perhaps? I'm sure they'd all have leads on Boris to."

Rei grabbed Mariah's arm and pulled her to the side. He glanced at his friends and nodded, "I'll talk to Mariah privately, you guys just wait here." He led Mariah away from the group and looked at her. "Why are you still trying to protect him? What has he done to deserve your trust? I've known you for a lot longer Mariah... we're childhood friends, and yet you'd rather help him than help your own tribe?"

She looked away from him. "Rei... I know we're friends, but..."

"But what?"

Now she chose to look at him. "The friendship I share with Mystel is a different to the one you and I share." She couldn't hold back any longer. The guilt of not letting Rei know would eat her up inside until it drove her mad. "I know this must sound crazy, Rei, but what I feel for Mystel isn't the same feeling I have towards you." She could see the hurt in his eyes, no matter how hard he tried to keep his face composed.

"How long?"

"Since he found my bandana and returned it to me," she replied, lowering her gaze. "I know you guys don't like him very much, but he's a friend."

Rei wasn't sure how to respond. He had thought the friendship he had with Mariah would blossom into something more – perhaps develop into love. At one stage in his life, he thought he found that connection with her during their battle. But that connection died as soon as Rei left the White Tigers again to embark on a journey with the Bladebreakers. He had thought rejoining his team and leading them in the third tournament would cause those old feelings to rise, but it hadn't. Mariah only saw him as a friend. "You invited him to stay for tea."

"And Lee didn't want him staying over."

"Mariah... I can't change the way you feel about me, but are you sure about this? He worked for Boris and there's a good chance he still does."

She shook her head. "Nothing you say will convince me to change my mind, Rei."

"I'm sorry..."

She nodded. "For you, I will ask Mystel what he knows about Boris."

He smiled. "Thank you, Mariah."

.

She left the hallway and exited the building through a secret door. Stepping outside in the fresh air calmed her nerves, but only slightly. The words of her boss still rung clearly in her mind and she wasn't sure what her next move was going to be. Convince Stanley to leave the board? He was a friend... how could she betray a trusted ally? Stanley had never done her any wrong, so why should she overthrow him?

Running a hand through her blonde locks, Judy walked down the empty street using the time to relax. If she didn't convince Stanley, then her boss would fire her and she would have no chances of getting a job anywhere. She still had a son to provide for after all. She continued to walk through the streets when she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. Reaching a hand down, she picked up the device and answered the smart phone. It was a number she didn't recognize. "Hello, this is Judy speaking."

"Judy – I have important information for you."

The voice on the other end almost made her drop the phone. "... how did you get this number?"

"Please do not be alarmed. I'm only trying to help you."

She tightened her jaw. "Don't ever call this number again!"

"I know your boss plans to make you lose your job if you don't overthrow Stanley Dickenson."

"How did... what... are you following me?"

There was a brief pause until the caller spoke again, "I know you are confused, but please listen... you are in great danger, Judy."

She snorted. "You are the danger."

The speaker sighed, "I see this is going nowhere. If you change your mind please head down to the local park at five pm tomorrow near the playground. I will send one of my men to greet you and he will take you to me for a private chat. Think about this carefully, Judy. Your future depends on your decision." Then the phone hung up.

Judy glanced down at the phone in shock, still surprised by what had just happened. Out of all the people in the world to call her, it had to be the one and only Boris Balkov?

.

Having since defeated Tyson in a beybattle, Carlos felt invincible. He defeated the strongest beyblader in the world without breaking sweat and even caused Tyson to lose his trusted Dragoon. Now he was ready to show the world he was the greatest beyblader on earth. He strolled into the apartment and walked up to a man wearing a purple coat. His face was hidden, but Carlos didn't need to know what he looked like anyway. "I'm here as you ordered."

"I heard about your defeat of Tyson and I wish to extend my congratulations to you. You've done us a great service making Tyson lose his bitbeast. He won't threaten us in this tournament, but three more still remain."

Carlos dug a hand into his pocket and let his fingers touch the surface of his beyblade. He could almost feel surges of power rush through his body. "Tell me who they are and I'll destroy them."

The man laughed, "So eager, but you must wait. We don't want to draw... suspicion. I am entering you in the tournament with three other members and as a team you will prove to the world the Bladebreakers are outdated. Defeat them in battle before the public eye and no one will care for them any longer."

Carlos snickered. "I like the idea. Who will my teammates be?"

"I shall introduce them for you. Alan, Wyatt and Bruce."

Carlos didn't know the names. He looked at his boss with confusion. "Explain please?"

"Alan was once a friend of Max's. Wyatt used to go to school with Kai and Bruce was part of the White Tiger tribe. They have powerful bitbeasts of their own and their skills in battle are significant. Their power levels are equal to their rivals at this current stage." He clasped his hands, and laughed. "But of course, that will change during the tournament."

"What if the Bladebreakers plan to compete as separate members again?"

"That will not happen. We are going to change the rules to fit our plans, but don't worry about the behind the scenes stuff, we have it covered. Play your role accordingly and the rewards will be limitless, you have my word. Stick to the plan."

.

Enjoying it so far? Any guesses who Carlos' boss is? Hint – it's not Boris. Reviews are still appreciated : )


	9. Choices

**Disclaimer**

The rights to Beyblade belong to Takao Aoki.

**Title**

A Hero's Last Cry

**Summary**

Tyson is keen to defend his title for the fourth time in a row, but things might not be so easy this time. A number of villains emerge and Tyson finds it hard to determine who is friend or foe. Is this the end of the champion's reign?

**Special Thanks**

Omegaxis1, SgtPepperLHCB, Guest and Kiray Himawari for reviewing the last chapter

**Soundtrack**

'Tears of a Dragon' by Bruce Dickinson

**.**

**Chapter Nine: Choices**

What am I doing? I shouldn't be doing this, thought Judy, as he walked through the dim hallways towards the main entrance. Boris had tried to destroy the world of beyblading three times; ruining the very spirit of the game, yet he had promised he could help her? He was not to be trusted. The man was a criminal. But her boss couldn't be trusted either; if she could get help from other sources then she was going to take it.

It didn't take her long to reach the park. Fortunately, the park was rather empty; dark clouds were billowing on the horizon and she suspected a storm was on the way. She turned her head around in both directions searching for one of the men Boris promised. But she found no one. She was beginning to wonder if he had set her up to make her look like a fool. Where was this man? "Judy Tate?" a voice asked from behind.

Startled, Judy jumped then spun around. A man dressed in a dark hooded robe stood before her. He looked suspicious. "Yes, that's me. You are the man to take me to Boris?" she asked.

He whipped his head around to the left, then right. "I will take you to Boris. Follow me."

Although the entire situation was rather unsettling, Judy followed the strange man towards Boris' destination. Doubt developed in her mind the further they walked. Was she walking into a trap? Would Boris attack her and keep her hostage? She felt her phone vibrate in her pocket and thought about grabbing it. She needed to let her family know where she was. Without wasting more time, she reached down for her phone, but the man grabbed her arm, "You are in no danger, Judy. There is no need to call."

She pulled her arm away and nodded, yet she couldn't hide the feeling of danger rise up within her. As they continued to walk, Judy noticed they were walking towards the danger zone; the slums. Beggars prowled the streets, and thieves hid in the shadows waiting to ambush unsuspecting victims. It was almost silent; the only sounds that could be heard came from the pleas and moans of the beggars. "The slums?" she asked.

"You will not be harmed," the man said, drawing her closer, "Boris made it clear to protect the lady."

Judy wasn't sure if she should be repulsed by that. Sure, it was nice to be protected but by a man like Boris? It made her feel unsafe. She glanced back over her shoulder watching as her suburb faded into the distance. Feeling the man's stare, she turned her head around and focused on the path ahead. "How much further?" They had crossed the invisible boundary into the slums and she hoped they did not have to walk further into the area.

"We are here now, please step this way." The man stopped, lifted his arm to the left pointing to one of many dark alleyways. "We have a base underground." Taking in a deep breath, Judy stepped into the alley. She half suspected someone to jump out at her and tackle her to the ground, but no attack came. Feeling somewhat safer, Judy took another step into the darkness. "Just keep going until you come across a door at the far end. I will be right behind you."

.

The room was most unlike she expected. Instead of a dark, damp room with little furniture, she stood in a fully furnished room with full lighting. Boris sat in the far corner with four other men deep in conversation about something. The conversation ceased when he noticed her. He ordered his men to leave the area. Rising from his chair, he acknowledged Judy with a nod as his men cleared the area. "Judy, I am glad you have come."

Judy swallowed and walked forward with caution, her eyes darting around the room searching for an escape route if needed. "I do not have long, make this quick."

"Please, sit down," Boris said, pointing to one of the brown leather couches. Judy kept her eyes focused on him, until she reached the chair. She sat down as he did. "I understand you are in quite the predicament."

"How do you know so much about me?"

Boris shrugged. "Your boss has given you the task of overthrowing Stanley Dickenson. You can't keep that information hidden forever."

"You said you could help."

Boris leaned back in his chair, placing his hands behind his head, "I intend to give you all the aid I can, but first you must know what is happening."

Judy hardened her stare. "What makes you think I will believe your words? You have misled us before."

"Those days are over now and I've put them well behind me."

Judy snorted, crossing her arms over her chest. "I have a hard time believing that."

"Believe what you want – but I am being honest. I am here to give you help." He pointed to the door she entered through, "You can choose to leave now and not listen to my words, or you can sit here and listen and stop it now before it gets worse. It's your choice." Green eyes bore into her own blue eyes, sending a shudder to race down her spine. Here she was sitting alone in a room with the Russian criminal mastermind. Her eyes drifted to the door, then back to Boris. Stay here and learn about possible lies or get up and walk through the door and not listen to possible truths? Whatever decision she chose to make she knew it would impact the rest of her life.

.

It felt strange walking away from the White Tigers, but he knew keeping his distance was important. But staying away was getting harder with each visit. It was as if some sort of spell had been cast upon him, making his desire to leave the area more difficult. But it wasn't a spell; it was a girl and her name was Mariah. Staying away from her forever was what he should be doing, but he couldn't leave the girl he had come to like behind. "She'd be better off without you, you know," he told himself, as he walked towards the forest.

"Talking to yourself is the first sign of insanity."

Mystel glanced up at the branch above and saw Ming Ming. "I see you've finally managed to climb the tree..." That's when he noticed a ladder leading up the tree trunk. "Taking the easy route."

She sent him a withering look, then climbed down the ladder. She flattened her skirt and brushed down dirt before looking at him. "Seeing Mariah again, are you?"

"She's a friend, Ming Ming."

He turned away from her, but she stepped in front of his path. "Just a friend?" she asked, eyebrows arched in a suggestive manner.

Mystel narrowed his eyes, "Don't even go there."

"Aww, what's the matter? Did I venture into dangerous territory?" she replied, grinning. She brushed a strand of loose hair away from her face and pushed it behind her right ear. "Did something go wrong? You don't look very happy. Didn't she smile at you today?" she added. "So, what's the problem?"

Mystel debated with the idea of telling Ming Ming. Other than Mariah, Ming Ming was the only female he had any interaction with. She was like a sister to him. A very playful sometimes annoying sister. "It's nothing, it's just... a pain having to hide all the time, you know?" he replied, in an attempt to change the topic.

Unfortunately, Ming Ming saw right through his attempt. The grin on her face widened. "Mariah likes someone else?"

"What makes you think that?" he replied quickly.

"The downcast expression, the attempt to change conversation... you're hiding something and it's about Mariah." She moved closer to him, round eyes fixed on his face. "Tell me all about it and I'll see how I can help. I'm a female too, so I can probably offer some insight into how her mind works."

Damn Ming Ming and her puppy dog eyes. She could move anyone with that look. He sighed, moved to the base of the tree and sat down pressing his back against the surface of the trunk. She did the same. "She still likes Rei." The grin on her face widened even more. He didn't think it was possible to have a smile so wide. "What's so funny?"

She giggled, then tapped him lightly on the shoulder. "Just the thought of you having female problems is amusing. Jealous, are you?"

"I'm not jealous. I'm just..."

"Upset? Confused? You know, Mariah has a deep friendship with Rei. She probably doesn't like him in that way. I mean, look; you should be happy she's even willing to still talk to you after the whole BEGA fiasco. If that's not a positive sign, then I don't know what is." Mystel didn't respond. "This is really not the time to have female problems, Mystel. We have a tournament to practice for."

"I thought we weren't doing it? What happened to the 'stay low and keep hidden' plan Boris assigned us?"

She shrugged. "Garland told me earlier plans have changed now; he said we need to move on to the next step because events are moving quicker then he originally assumed. Judy's in trouble and Boris is going to help her, while we have to prepare for the tournament and pass the qualifying rounds. We can't allow Douglas' team to pass the qualifying rounds otherwise they will ruin the tournament experience for everyone," Ming Ming replied, resting her hand on his shoulder. "So that means you have to compete as well. We need to be a team of five. You never know, you might get the chance to face Rei in the ultimate showdown for Mariah." She grinned at the sour look on her friend's face.

"Rei wouldn't stand a chance against me."

Ming Ming lifted a brow, "Well, aren't you overconfident."

"I thought females liked confident guys?"

"Confident, yes. Cocky, no."

Mystel frowned. "Alright, alright, I get the point. I already told Mariah I wasn't competing though."

"Tell her that you had a change of heart? It's pretty simple. Just don't tell her that we're still working with Boris, I doubt she'd like that much." She aided herself up from the ground using Mystel as support. "I'll go and get the other guys, you handle Mariah. Garland is cooking something special tonight, so you better show." Without adding more, she walked away leaving Mystel alone.

.

Tyson faced the practice dish, with his beylauncher at the ready. He inserted his ripcord, aimed at the centre then pulled back hard releasing his blade into the dish. It landed directly in the centre and spun around in circles. Tyson placed his launcher and cord on the ground then picked up a practice set. He released the blade into the dish. This blade was one of Kenny's newly designed practice beyblades. It acted on its own using random patterns of attack based on the data he obtained from previous battles. It was useful for practicing new moves, but was inferior to battling another beyblader. Still, it would have to do.

"Come on, Dragoon..." Tyson said, through clenched teeth. Although non-existent in his blade, Tyson still referred to it as Dragoon. It seemed odd to give the blade another name or no name at all. "Attack!" he shouted. But Dragoon did not oblige; instead, it pulled back from its opponent choosing to race up and down the slopes of the dish.

The other beyblade chased Dragoon around the dish then smashed into sending creating sparks. It pushed Dragoon up the slope forcing it towards the edge. "Dragoon!" Tyson shouted, anger flashing in his eyes. He could feel his blade lacking power in its hits; it was as if his blade no longer had the will to blade. Was this a sign of things to come? If Tyson could not beat a controlled by machine blade, then how would he fair in the tournament? He would be the laughing stock of the universe. People expected great things from him. He was, after all, the champion blader of three years.

The words of his speech to his friends flooded back to him. How could he face them again? He instilled words of passion in their heads, made them vow not to go easy on him during the tournament, but that was looking to be the wrong decision. He would not last more than five seconds at this rate. His shoulders slumped and he dropped to his knees, watching Dragoon get pushed out of the dish. "Dragoon..." He closed his eyes and hung his head low, defeated. He tried to believe, but the faith just wasn't there.

"Tyson?"

Hearing his name, Tyson opened his eyes and glanced over his shoulder. Hilary stood at the door watching him with sad eyes. How long had she been standing there for? He forced a smile. "Come to watch me lose?" A bitter laugh escaped his parched throat. He looked back towards the dish. "It's useless, Hilary. I can't... do this. It's not the same without Dragoon."

She walked towards them, dropping down to his side. "You're a champion beyblader, Tyson. You will overcome this."

He snorted. "A champion beyblader... I don't have Dragoon anymore. I can't blade without the same intensity anymore. When I face all those fans... I feel their expectations... they expect great things, they expect me to put on a show. And then... I'll blade like this. My fans will feel cheated." Using the back palm of his hand, he wiped an eye. "Why am I telling you any of this? You don't know what it's like to be a beyblader..." He turned his back to her.

Hilary rested a hand on his shoulder. "You need to bring yourself out of this state of mind, Tyson. Beating yourself up over this isn't going to make you any better."

"And what do you think I should do?" he snapped, glaring up at her. Hilary didn't respond, and Tyson turned away again. "Sorry, Hilary. I didn't mean to snap at you like that." Once there was a time he and Hilary used to argue over every little thing, but now he considered her as one of his closest friends. He shared a bond with her that he didn't have with his male friends. He couldn't quite figure out what it was. "I just... don't know how I can move on from this? I told my friends to give it their best when they face me in the dish. I can't battle them in this state; it'll be embarrassing for both of us."

"I've known you for awhile, Tyson. In case you have forgotten, you are not a quitter. You're a fighter. You need to believe you can do this."

"But how? Help me, Hilary."

"You're trying too hard to blade like you still have Dragoon. Try to put yourself in a place where you didn't have your bitbeast, remember how you battled back then."

He looked at her directly. "Hiro used to coach me when I was younger. He was my support." And now Hiro was gone, just like Dragoon. Was everything he loved going to leave him? "They're all leaving me, Hil."

"I am still here and I will never leave you alone, Tyson," Hilary replied softly, brushing aside a strand of hair from her eyes. "I believe you can blade like a champion without Dragoon. You're an essential part of this team, Tyson and I'm not going to let you fall apart."

A slow smile crossed Tyson's face, and this time it wasn't forced. "I'm glad to have you here. Thanks, Hil. I needed that."

She smiled back, then pulled out a beyblade launcher. "You and I are going to have a beybattle."

That wiped the smile of his face. "What? But you don't even know how to beyblade?"

She grinned, then winked. "Why don't you teach me then? You might discover something new about yourself." She stood up and walked to the opposite side of the dish. "Well, what are you waiting for, Tyson?"

.

Has Tyson fully recovered? Find out in the next chapter!


	10. The Quest for Power

**Disclaimer**

The rights to Beyblade belong to Takao Aoki.

**Title**

A Hero's Last Cry

**Summary**

Tyson is keen to defend his title for the fourth time in a row, but things might not be so easy this time. A number of villains emerge and Tyson finds it hard to determine who is friend or foe. Is this the end of the champion's reign?

**Special Thanks**

Omegaxis1, SgtPepperLHCB, Anjanie, ayushi and Kiray Himawari for reviewing the last chapter

**Soundtrack**

'Live for the Kill' by Amon Amarth

**.**

**Chapter Ten: The Quest for Power**

She was tempted to exit through the door now, but Boris' words left her cold. Curiosity got the better of her so she remained in her seat. "Tell me what you know."

She thought she caught the flicker of a smile appear on Boris' face but it was gone with a second. Had she imagined it? "Your boss is planning to overthrow Stanley so he can take full control of the beyblading world. He has chosen a team of broken individuals to compete in the upcoming tournament and he will win if we do not stop him."

Judy shook her head. "No... Douglas wouldn't..." But a voice in the back of her mind told her that the Douglas she knew was gone. He couldn't understand, nor accept, how science lost to human spirit. Overthrowing Stanley would destroy the beyblading experience. It wouldn't be about enjoyment, passion, skill and spirit – it would become an obsession with health, false power and education. Beybladers wouldn't need to practice anymore; they would simply receive a beyblade equipped with certain skills. The blade would be in control of the beyblader. It would guarantee Douglas millions of dollars. "How can he be stopped? He wants me to overthrow Stanley."

"My BEGA bladers are entering in the tournament. They are the only beybladers with the ability and knowledge to stand against the power of Douglas' team."

"What about the G-Revolutions?"

"Sources have informed me that Tyson has lost Dragoon. I've also been informed the G-Revolutions are representing their home teams which weakens them. They are unbeatable as a team, not as individuals," Boris explained. He sighed, then continued, "My BEGA bladers on the other hand, are a team. Their skills are much greater than that of any other team. It is they who will stand the best chance in battling against Douglas... However, if Douglas manages to overthrow Stanley he will force them to compete as one team."

"Isn't that a good thing, then? Like you said, they are unbeatable as a unit."

Boris shook his head. "With Tyson under strength, they will be crushed easily. They need time and that's what my BEGA bladers will do. Stall."

"And what if they lose?"

"They understand the chance of losing is extremely high, but that doesn't mean they will surrender. They're looking for a chance to atone themselves after the fiasco of last year."

"You mean, after the fiasco you caused," Judy pointed out.

Boris held up his hands in a defensive manner. "I have change for the better, Judy. I will prove that to you. But I can't do this alone, I need your help."

"And what am I supposed to do? I can't convince him to resign otherwise Douglas will simply take over."

"I didn't say not to convince him... You must take over, Judy."

"Wha-?"

Boris nodded. "Rule alongside Stanley, call the shots. You can leak information to us and my men and I will take advantage of it and stop Douglas from succeeding. He trusts you."

"Douglas will become suspicious."

"He appointed you as the face of PPB, did he not? I doubt he'll mind if you run the BBA. Let him pretend he is in control."

"This is dangerous!"

"Would you prefer to watch the world burn knowing you could've done something to stop it?"

Boris raised a good point, but this was madness! Rule the BBA? Force the resignation of Stanley? It would make her look like a power hungry woman following in the steps of Boris! What would her son think? "People will assume I am trying to copy you."

"Let them think what they want. You are doing this to save their lives, not to ruin them. They will be grateful when this is all over, I'm sure."

"But my son... he will not take kindly if I take over the BBA. He will assume I've turned into the woman I was during his first international tournament."

"Make him understand."

Another thought entered her mind. "What of Voltaire? No one has heard of him since he was sent to prison years ago."

"Voltaire is much more difficult to track. He covers his tracks well unlike Douglas. As far as I know, Voltaire is back in town hiding just like me. Where he is, I'm not sure but he wants to speak to his grandson again. He forwarded a message to Stanley to pass onto Kai." Judy opened her mouth to ask a question, but Boris shrugged. "Before you ask, I have no idea why Voltaire wants Kai. I would advise Kai to avoid him, prison changes people. What will your decision be, Judy?"

She almost squirmed under his heavy gaze. It was a straightforward question, yet so difficult to answer. Risk condemning the beyblading world to damnation or stand up for a just cause and lose the trust of the ones that mattered most. Max would hate her for siding with Boris. Actually, most... if not all, the blading world would despise her. It was as if she was playing the role of Boris' apprentice and that thought was a disturbing one. If people found out she was working for Boris... it would be the end of her career.

Was it worth the risk?

.

"You are weak and undeserving of the blade you possess," Carlos snarled, crushing the kid's blade under the weight of his foot. The kid dropped to his knees, tears streaming down his face. "You are an embarrassment to us." He spat at the ground next to the crying young teenager.

"Have you no heart?" a female spectator shouted, glaring up at Carlos with big, brown eyes.

"I show no mercy to the weak."

He turned away from the crying kid and strutted down the busy streets, ignoring the comments thrown at him by other spectators. He did not care for their words, he would show them all what true power was.

"You put on quite the show there, are you proud of yourself?"

Carlos snapped his head around. Hiding in an alley was a tall man wearing a white hooded cloak, black pants and a long sleeved shirt. Carlos frowned. Strange to dress up in summer clothing in the middle of winter. Wasn't he hot? "Who are you?"

The man walked forwards. The expression on his face was unreadable due to the hood, but Carlos imagined he was smirking. "I'm Hiro... Tyson's brother."

Carlos felt his muscles tense. He wasn't sure what to think of Hiro, considering the trick he had pulled during the last tournament. Coaching his younger brother's rival team was dirty trick, and he didn't seemed phased by it at all. "Why are you here? Shouldn't you be taking care of your little brother?"

Hiro shook his head. "I've done all I can for Tyson, he doesn't need me anymore. I gave him his strongest rival and he triumphed proving to me he doesn't need my guidance."

"Then why are you here hanging around town for?"

Hiro moved forward. "I've been made an offer to coach your team to victory."

Lifting a brow, Carlos snorted. "We don't need you. I defeated your brother in a battle not too long ago with ease... I doubt I'll need your assistance."

Instead of scowling or fighting back, Hiro simply laughed. "You are an amateur beyblader with a big toy," Hiro stated calmly, arms crossed. "Oh sure, you can tell everyone your little sob story about working hard, but in the stadium your lack of skills will show. People will become suspicious; in the past we've had inexperienced beybladers cheat their way through. If it happens again, beyblade tournaments lose all their credibility and they won't be hosted again. I can teach you the skills that will turn you into a professional." He held out his hand towards Carlos, "Do you accept my offer?"

Carlos stared at the hand for several seconds trying to determine whether or not this was a joke. Why would Hiro want to help the person who defeated his brother? "Why would you want to help me?"

"I figure the most evil thing you can do is betray the people you love most, right?"

.

Walking around in the city wasn't something Johnny did often; his personal servants did the shopping so he really didn't have the need to come. Only on the rare occasions did he visit the city and it was only because his friend and teammate, Oliver, owned a cafe called, 'Boulangerie de France' in the city centre. Johnny always got discounts on his meals and a free drink. It was also the chance to meet his other teammates for a quick chat. Now that they were officially team, Robert thought it would be a good idea for them to hang out like a team.

"I'm sorry, I meant to say you were wicked pretty, not pretty wicked!" Enrique exclaimed, running after two girls. The two females turned their noses up, and stormed off in the opposite direction. Enrique continued to chase after them. He covered an extra ten metres then stopped, huffing and puffing.

Johnny smirked. "Did you scare them off again? Must be your face."

"Maybe they saw _you _and decided to run." He bent over to catch his breath. "Anyway... I don't see _you _trying to talk to girls, you don't know how hard it can be!"

"Well for starters, I wouldn't spray spit all over them as I attempted to woo them with lame pick up liners," Johnny said, shaking his head, "and I wouldn't attempt to touch them on the first conversation. Slow down Casanova."

Enrique glared. "What would you know? I've never even seen you speak to a girl. Do you even know what a girl is?"

"Of course I know what a girl is, my mother is one."

"Your mother looks like a man!"

Johnny growled. "She does not!"

"She does too! She's so strong it's frightening!"

"That's because you're scrawny and weak."

"I'm not weak!"

Johnny stabbed a finger in Enrique's face. "Then why were you left off the team when we battled the Bladebreakers? Robert was always going to go last, me second and Oliver third. You are the weakest link, Enrique-poo."

"Don't call me that!"

"I thought you liked it when girls called you Enrique-poo?"

"Last time I checked you weren't a girl."

"What? Do you spy on me when I bathe?"

Enrique's mouth dropped in mock surprise. "You actually bathe? Alert the media!"

Their pointless argument had caught the attention of their leader, Robert. He was currently waiting in line to order some coffee, but he exited the queue to deal with his teammates. He walked up to them with a stern expression. "Are you arguing again about unimportant matters in public? We are the Majestics, we have a reputation to uphold. If you continue like this people will not take us seriously!"

"But Robert, Johnny started it!" Enrique whined, pointing a finger at Johnny.

Johnny growled, clenching both his hands into fists. "He was asking for it!"

"He's jealous because girls hate him!"

Their argument had become louder now, so loud random people walking by were watching a highly professional team arguing amongst themselves about stupid things. Some people laughed, while others simply shook their heads muttering about 'young people these days'. But two people dressed in brown robes did not laugh nor mock. They both pulled back their hoods. One was female and the other was male.

"So, you are the Majestics? I expected a more... mature team," said the male walking towards them. He

Johnny and Enrique ceased their argument, turning their attention on the pair. Johnny was the first to speak. "Yeah, that's right. We're the Majestics. Why do you care? We don't sign autographs nor do we pose for photos, so go away," he snapped.

The male's companion spoke. "We're not amateur beybladers."

"You look like amateurs," Johnny pointed out, examining their clothes. The girl wore a short orange dress while the male wore shorts and an orange shirt. Both clothes had a red collar.

The girl dug a hand into her pocket, then pulled it out revealing her blade. "I'll prove that we're more than a match for you."

"There's no dish."

The girl shrugged. "What? Scared to blade without one?"

Dish or no dish, Johnny wasn't going to turn down an invitation to battle. Besides, he wasn't going to show cowardice in front of a _girl. _He was going to show her why beyblading was for guys only. He reached for his beyblade and launcher then took his position. Enrique raced to the right of the middle taking on the role of the referee. The female stood at the opposite end, beyblade at the ready.

"Three... Two... One... LET IT RIP!"

Both bladers launched their blades at the centre point of the pathway. Fortunately, the path wasn't crowded; people moved out of the way to allow the two bladers to compete. A large crowd quickly gathered as the battle intensified. Johnny was quite surprised by the power in the girl's blade. Her attacks were strong. Not as strong as his own, but hers was far quicker and able to evade most of his attacks.

"It's Johnny's big moment," Johnny overheard Oliver speaking to Robert, "When was the last time he had a battle against someone outside the Majestics?"

The truth was never. The Majestics only battled amongst themselves. Only Robert chose to battle against bladers outside the team. Johnny and Enrique were both far too lazy and Oliver was busy managing his cafe. "Sharkrash! ABYSS FIRE!" Flames erupted from her blade, forming into a 'X' shape.

Two could play with fire. "Salamalyon, FIRE ROD!" Purple flames appeared and swirled around Johnny's blade forming a shield. His salamander fired a string of purple flame towards Sharkrash. The shark evaded the attack and countered with its own, clamping its strong jaws around the nape of Salamalyon's neck. The salamander struggled to free itself.

"Heh, a salamander. How cute... but a cute bitbeast won't win you this battle!" Her emerald eyes flashed, as a string of flame erupted from her blade shrouding Johnny's own in embers.

Cute? Salamander wasn't cute! "Finish her!" Salamalyon charged at Sharkrash, but once again the shark was too quick.

"Uh oh," said Oliver, "Johnny's beginning to lose it." And so he was. Salamalyon could not keep up with Sharkrash's speed. Every attack he made, the shark evaded. Frustration began to cloud Johnny's judgement. "Stop running! Stay still so I can hit you!"

Mariam grinned. "Having trouble keeping up? I'll end your misery then. Sharkrash, final attack!" Upon her command, Sharkrash covered itself in fire then charged at Salamalyon slamming it against the side of a building. The salamander tried to push the shark away, but lacked the energy. Soon, the salamander tired and Johnny's blade stopped spinning. The battle was over. Sharkrash returned to its blade then jumped back into Mariam's hand.

Johnny was shocked. How in the hells could he, a champion beyblader, lose to the likes of a girl?! She smirked. "I thought you were meant to be a champion beyblader? I guess I heard wrong, then. How disappointing," she said, strolling over to Johnny's beyblade lying on the floor. She picked it up, examined the bit chip and smiled, "I can see why you boys failed to make it past the qualifying rounds."

"That loss wasn't meant to happen! Our opponents cheated their way to victory!" Johnny snapped.

She looked at him, then shook her head. "Even if they weren't cheating, they still would've beaten you. Your blade lacks severe power." She walked towards him. "You try to be the big tough guy, but it's just an act. You're weak. No wonder girls don't like you."

Her companion, a short male with dark green hair, laughed. Johnny clenched his fists. He didn't hit girls, but he wouldn't mind driving his fist through that guy's face! "Johnny, don't do anything stupid. Don't fall for her game," Enrique warned.

"These nobodies are insulting our honour!" Johnny retorted.

"Do not act like a child, Jonathan!" Robert said. "Control yourself, lest turn yourself into an even bigger fool," he added. Johnny growled, but remained still. He took in several deep breaths. Taking those anger management classes really helped after all. "Why did you come?" Robert asked, looking at the girl.

"You probably haven't heard of us, but we're part of the Saint Shields. We competed in the second tournament and lost," she explained, bringing her ponytail over her right shoulder. Johnny snorted. She glared at him. "I'm Mariam, and this is my brother Joseph. We're looking for Tyson, our leader has something important to tell him."

"I know Tyson," Robert said, stepping forward. "We can pass the message onto him if you'd like."

She shook her head. "No... we can't trust you. I think-"

"Stop it, Mariam."

Mariam jerked her head around, then sighed. "Ozuma, you decided to show."

He was a short man, a head shorter than Mariam, yet he radiated power and authority. Johnny could tell by the way the male held himself he was not to be trifled with. "We can tell them, they deserve to know. The message must be spread to all the beybladers who competed in the past three tournaments."

Mariam crossed her arms over her chest. "Alright then, play the storyteller role."

"What is this message you speak of?" Oliver asked.

"Pull out of the upcoming tournament if you value your life," Ozuma replied, leading the group to a spare table at Oliver's cafe.

Johnny snorted again as he sat down next to Mariam. "You have some nerve threatening us like that."

Mariam came to Ozuma's defence. "This isn't a threat, Johnny. Yes, we'd easily defeat you in the dish, but there's a greater power at work here. Douglas threatens to destroy the world with his new team of bladers."

"Douglas? Isn't he the CEO of PPB?" Robert asked.

Ozuma nodded. "You are correct. He is determined to prove science can triumph over human spirit. Have you heard of the Leviathan?"

Robert shook his head, then looked at his teammates. Johnny shrugged. Robert turned back to face Ozuma. "We are not aware of the Leviathan."

"When the bitbeasts were born, there were five in all of creation. Four of them you have witnessed; Dragoon, Dranzer, Draciel and Driger, the sacred bitbeasts. But the existence of the other one was kept a secret until now. A battle was fought between the two sides; one represented all the good in the world, while the other sought to destroy all that was good. The sacred bitbeasts combined their power and locked the Leviathan bitbeast into a cage called Purgatory. The great beast was locked for centuries, but Tyson's father came across an ancient tome that revealed a way to extract its power. Douglas' knew about it – he was the one who hired Tyson's father," Ozuma explained.

"So you're saying Douglas used Tyson's father all this time?" Enrique asked. He shook his head. "That's really low. But why come forth with it now? Why didn't he act earlier?"

"It took several years for Douglas to build the right technology to extract the power of the Leviathan, but now he has finally achieved it. Four bitbeasts were created and released into the world for beybladers seeking retribution. The four bladers have been chosen and now they will represent the power of science in the tournament," Ozuma added. "This is why I am advising you to not enter the tournament, it's far too dangerous. Lives are at stake."

"But they must be stopped," Enrique exclaimed. "We have to convince Stanley to cancel the tournament."

Robert sighed. "We can't do that, Enrique. Too much money has been poured into preparation; it would financially ruin Stanley if he cancelled now."

"We can't simply stand aside and do nothing!" the tall blond protested.

Mariam nodded. "He has a point."

"Then what do you suggest other than not competing?" Johnny asked Mariam.

"You're asking me? I'm flattered," Mariam replied, tone thick with sarcasm. "I disagree with Ozuma – I think you should enter. Besides, you'll be eliminated before you face off against them anyway, so what harm is there in competing?" She winked at Johnny.

Johnny felt his skin crawl. The arrogance... it reminded him a little of himself in a way. The snarky attitude, the arrogant comments... "You should compete to so I can beat you properly in the stadium."

"Oh, is that a date?" Mariam teased, placing a hand on his lap. "Don't worry, I won't stand you up," she added, with another wink. It took all Johnny's self-control to stay composed. This was a girl who proved she was of equal footing with a male blader. He had a lot of work to do if he wanted to defeat her in battle.

.

I'm working towards some Johnny/Mariam stuff because I like them together and think they'd work well. What is Hiro up to? Is Judy getting involved in something dangerous? Review and let me know what you think!


	11. Faith

**Disclaimer**

The rights to Beyblade belong to Takao Aoki.

**Title**

A Hero's Last Cry

**Summary**

Tyson is keen to defend his title for the fourth time in a row, but things might not be so easy this time. A number of villains emerge and Tyson finds it hard to determine who is friend or foe. Is this the end of the champion's reign?

**Special Thanks**

Omegaxis1, SgtPepperLHCB, Anjanie, ayushi and Kiray Himawari for reviewing the last chapter

**Soundtrack**

'Stand My Ground' by Within Temptation

**.**

**Chapter Eleven: Faith**

"We should probably head back to Tyson's dojo and see how he's coping," Rei said. "Mariah will find Mystel and she'll keep us up to date with any news regarding Boris. We ought to focus our attention on the upcoming tournament because I'm certain Boris will have something to do with it. We need to keep our guard up."

Tala nodded. "I'll round the rest of my team up and whip them into shape. Mind you, they've gotten a little slack since the last tournament." He crossed his hands over his chest, frowning. "I'll do what I can to find more information regarding Voltaire." He looked at Kai. "Keep yourself safe, Kai. We'll keep in touch." Tala walked down the hill. Several seconds later, the three boys heard a string of curse words escape from Tala's mouth. It appeared he had tumbled down the slope.

Rei looked at Kai and Max. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm not going back yet. I need to think about the future," Kai replied. "The situation appears to be quite grim. Tyson might not want to admit it, but he needs us fighting by his side. I need more evidence though." He planned to visit Brendan again. Perhaps that kid knew something that could aid them.

"If you don't mind, Kai... I'm going to come with you," said Max.

Kai lifted a brow. "I'll be fine alone, Max."

"Rei will keep an eye on Tyson, besides Daichi will be there too. That's two strong bladers at his side," Max reasoned. "Any information we come across can be forwarded to my mother and I'd rather be there to witness it."

"Alright. You come with me Max. We'll see you later, Rei. Keep safe," Kai said.

"Will do."

The boys parted ways. Rei headed back towards Tyson's dojo, while Kai and Max opted to take the shortest path back to the city. Reaching the city from the hills was a short journey and Kai was grateful for that. He was tired; it had been a long day after all. Fatigue made him cranky. "We'll head back to warehouse. I feel as though I might've missed something," Kai said. He didn't want to tell the others about his encounter with Brendan yet.

"This is all so strange, isn't it? Why now? Every time there is a tournament something always tends to go wrong," Max commented, brushing a strand of blond hair away from his face. "First it was Voltaire and Boris, then it was Boris and Zagart and finally Boris again. What is it with purple haired men?"

Kai didn't reply. He wondered what role his grandfather had in this. He remembered the message in the letter. It was short and brief; I have returned. "There's something at work here, Max. How did Carlos get so powerful? Why has my grandfather returned? Where is Boris and what is he planning next? I can't help but feel they are all connected somehow."

"Boris will keep himself hidden until an opportunity presents itself; we can only hope Mariah is able to get information from Mystel. As for Voltaire, I'm not too sure. Does he want revenge? Or is he coming back for you only?"

Kai ran a hand through his hair. "I don't know, but I'm hoping there's something in that warehouse that contains information." The boys fell silent.

Snap.

"Did you hear that?" Max asked, alarmed.

"Watch out, Max!"

Max whirled around only to find a beyblade flying towards him.

.

Two beyblades were in the centre of the practice dish. One blade was spinning, while the other lay there motionless making an odd whirring noise. The signs of battle were clear; there were several holes in the wall and smoke rising up from cracks in the ground made by a beyblade. Tyson looked around the room. "Wow, Hilary. You sure know how to cause damage. If only you could translate that energy into your beyblade..."

Hilary ran down into the dish and picked up her practice blade. The edges were chipped, but the blade still worked. "Come on, Tyson. You can do better that, right?" she said mockingly.

"Wha-at?"

She walked back up to her position across from Tyson. "You heard me. You call that beyblading? I'm not even a beyblader and you still can't destroy my blade? Is the champion losing his edge?" she taunted.

Tyson grimaced, clamping his jaw tight. He held out his hand exposing his palm to call back his blade. "Don't mock me, Hilary. I'm trying." Sweat coated his forehead.

"I couldn't tell."

"I _am _trying!"

"Try harder!"

Pulling out launcher once again, Tyson placed his blade on the end. He held it out before him, barely unable to control himself from trembling with rage. How could a person with limited blading experience survive his attacks? He should've destroyed her blade with ease with a single smash. But her blade defied the odds and remained in almost perfect condition. "I will not be treated like a novice blader!" He released his hold on the ripcord sending his blade forward with force.

Hilary released her blade again, somehow managing to launch it correctly. That never failed to amaze Tyson – he suspected she had learnt something about beyblading by watching their matches and overlooking their training sessions. Hilary's practice blade collided into Tyson's, forcing it up the slope adding to Tyson's frustrations.

"Dragoon?! What the heck? Drive her back!" Tyson yelled, vein protruding out of his neck. But yell as he liked, Dragoon did not obey. His blade couldn't seem to combat the practice one. Hope was draining fast. How could he, a champion beyblader, struggle to face off against a practice blade and inexperienced blader? This was even more embarrassing than losing to Kenny and Daichi in a practice match in front of the media.

"What are you doing, Tyson?"

"I'm blading!"

"Are you sure about that?"

Tyson could only look in horror as the practice blade continued to push Dragoon up the slope. Hilary's shouts faded into the background. Tyson was given a subtle reminder of the battle against Carlos. An inexperienced blader going up against the champion and winning. The power of Carlos' bitbeast was horrific. How could a bitbeast become so strong? Carlos didn't even break a sweat battling him.

Dragoon took another hammering in the dish. Again and again the practice blade smashed into Dragoon, its attacks seeming to increase in strength with every hit. "I..." Tyson was speechless, his mind ridden with guilt. He should have never battled against Carlos. He never should've underestimated him. Now he was without a bitbeast. He tried to put on a brave smile for his friends. He almost believed he could succeed during the conversation with Hilary before the battle. But back in the blading zone he was brought to a horrific reality that he could no longer rely on his blading skills to save the day.

A failure.

A loser.

His knees buckled. Dragoon received another massive hit. Tyson dropped to his knees. 'You're trying too hard to blade like you still have Dragoon. Try to put yourself in a place where didn't have your bitbeast; remember how battled back then'. "Sorry, Hilary," he mumbled. In the corner of his eye he could see Hilary shouting at him, but he couldn't hear her words. He didn't care. He wanted this to end.

Nausea gripped him making his head spin. He could no longer make sense of what was happening before him, it was just a blur. Previous battles raced through his mind. His victories. His losses. Even the draws flashed before him. Each battle made him stronger. The battles he fought made him a champion.

"Hiro... Dragoon..." They all left him.

Alone.

He was abandoned.

But yet... he still had friends. Their faith in him was stunning. Sometimes he treated them poorly due due to his temper and they reacted in kind. But they always came back to him. Such loyalty was astounding. He lay on the ground, listening to the battle. Dragoon was still spinning; slower after every hit, but still in the game.

'Don't blade like you are the champion'

'Don't blade like you still have Dragoon'

Advice from previous encounters ran through his mind, spurring him to pick himself up from the ground. "Kai was beaten... and lost... but he fought back and defied the odds..." Tyson told himself. "Max lost his bitbeast more than once but he found the strength to carry on..." Losses were a natural part of life. "Rei lost many battles and he never quit..." It's how you chose to react after a loss that determined the future.

His sense of sound and vision returned to him. Carlos was just another beyblader who managed to defeat him in battle. He was Robert. He was Tala. He was the face of everyone he had lost to. But hope wasn't gone. "I _will _defeat Carlos..." Tyson stood up. Hilary's practice blade smashed into Dragoon, but instead of forcing it back, it bounced off. "_I_ _will not be defeated!"_

Tyson's words seemed to empower his empty Beyblade. Dragoon's spin increased as a rapid rate powering it across the dish. It collided into the practice blade sending it upwards. As gravity pulled it back down, Dragoon spun to its shadow then smashed it out of the dish. The blade flew across the room into a wall, exploding into hundreds of pieces.

"You did it, Tyson!" Hilary exclaimed.

Tyson retrieved his Dragoon, glancing down at the blade in his hand. Even without a bitbeast he managed to dominate the battle. Kai once said it was anger that powered his blade. Faith powered Dragoon. "I won... I won without Dragoon." He was a step closer to earning back his bitbeast.

Hilary raced over to him, throwing her arms around her friend. "I always knew you could do it Tyson. That battle proved it."

Tyson smiled warmly at her. "You set me up, didn't you? You goaded me into battling."

She shrugged. "It worked, didn't it? I am your coach. It's my job to ensure you are in top shape." She patted him on the back. "We should probably return to Kenny and Daichi now, they're most likely wondering where we are."

"Yeah, good idea." Tyson placed Dragoon back into his pocket and led Hilary out of the practice area. "We must be the only team with a coach that doesn't actually blade."

"And it will stay that way," she replied. "Battling isn't for me, I prefer to cheer from the sidelines and help behind the scenes."

Tyson pouted. "Aww, what a shame," he mocked. "We could use your destructive ability to demolish our opponents."

"I'll leave that to you experts."

They wondered back into Tyson's dojo where Kenny and Daichi were eating. Tyson's eyes widened at the food on the table. Chocolate cake and sushi rolls! A bizarre mix, but it was still food. He raced towards the table shoving Kenny and Daichi out of his way. Hilary laughed, whilst Daichi threw himself at Tyson. "Tyson! That's my cake!" Daichi shouted, digging his fork into the last piece.

Tyson fought back. "I'm hungry!" he whined.

While the two boys fought over the cake, Kenny spoke to Hilary. "Is he alright?"

Hilary smiled. "There's nothing to be concerned about, Kenny. Tyson is back and ready to defend his title." She turned her head back to the table. Tyson was happily eating the final piece of cake while Daichi complained in the corner. His complaints ceased when they heard a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" Tyson shouted.

"Andrew and Billy!"

.

"Max! Watch out!" Kai shouted.

Max whirled around to find a beyblade flying towards him. Before he could react, Kai's blade knocked the enemy blade away. "Thanks, Kai."

"Don't thank me yet. We have trouble." Kai pointed his head forward motioning to two bladers dressed in hooded brown robes. Dranzer returned to his hand. Max dug his own hand into his pocket, resting his palm on his blade. "Speak!"

One of the robed figures took a step forward, pulling back the hood revealing his face. "It's been quite some time, hasn't it Max?" the person said. "The last time we met I was in possession of a rock bitbeast."

"Alan."

"Hello, Kai," said the other robed figure. He too pulled back his hood. "We meet again."

He was the last person Kai expected to see standing before him. Wyatt. The student who continuously hassled him at school to see Dranzer. He was a pathetic whiny kid back then, but something about him had changed. "I thought you died..." Kai said softly, remembering the battle in which Wyatt was consumed with power. He couldn't control the bitbeast's power.

"I survived... just. No thanks to you, Kai. You could've done more to save me, but you pushed me away," Wyatt replied, scornfully.

"I never intended for you to be harmed, Wyatt."

"It's a little too late for that now for apologies, don't you think? Besides, I don't want it anyway. I'm stronger than that now. Much stronger. That bitbeast I used is nothing compared to the one I have now." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a blade. Kai was surprised to see a bitchip. Wyatt was telling the truth. A blader needed to be a strong blader to wield the power of a bitbeast. But where had it come from?

Max prepared to pull out his launcher, but Kai shook his head. "We need to understand what we're up against, Max," he whispered, keeping his eyes trained on Wyatt and Alan. Max released his hold. "You are in league with Carlos, aren't you?"

Wyatt nodded. "You're a smart boy, Kai. What made you think that?"

"I thought it was a bit strange how former weak bladers now have bitbeasts in their possession. It was a good guess," Kai replied.

"Why are you doing this?" Max demanded.

Alan smirked. "Why not?"

"Who do you serve?" Kai asked, stepping forward.

Wyatt crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm not going to tell you. You will find out when the time is right."

"And when will that time be?" Max asked.

"In the beystadium. Unlike your pal Tyson, we are giving you extra time to prepare yourselves for the toughest battle of your lives. So disappoint – there will be a crowd watching after all," Wyatt said, smirking. "Let's go, Alan." The two boys pulled their hoods backs over their heads then retreated.

"We need to get back to Tyson immediately," said Kai. Max didn't disagree.

.

I do hope the Tyson angst part wasn't too repetitive. I wanted to delve deeper into his mindset and how he managed to find faith within himself again by accepting advice and acting on it, rather than just saying words to make others happy. There won't be this sort of angst again about Tyson's lack of belief. In the next chapter, things start to take a turn for the worst. It will be the first chapter of a three parter which will be quite heavy drama wise. Reviews are much appreciated, as always! Let me know how you think the story is going!

Oh, and be sure to check out my community 'Season Four Fics' on my profile page for more season four Beyblade stories.


	12. Light and Darkness, Part One

**Disclaimer**

The rights to Beyblade belong to Takao Aoki.

**Title**

A Hero's Last Cry

**Summary**

Tyson is keen to defend his title for the fourth time in a row, but things might not be so easy this time. A number of villains emerge and Tyson finds it hard to determine who is friend or foe. Is this the end of the champion's reign? TysonxHil. Season 4 fic. A tale of betrayal, friendship and salvation.

**Special Thanks**

SgtPeppersLHCB, Anjanie, country-grl20 and Omegaaxis1 for reviewing the last chapter! Thanks so much for the feedback and support : ) You guys are awesome!

Song for this chapter is 'Do Yourself a Favor' by Stone Sour

**.**

**Chapter Twelve: Light and Darkness: Evil Rising**

_**Part One**_

"You're not focusing," Garland snapped. His beyblade pushed the other blade over the side of the dish with what appeared to be with little effort.

His opponent, Mystel, simply shrugged. "We've been practicing for hours now, Garland. I thought we were meant to be relaxing." Ming Ming had said Garland was cooking something special tonight, turned out it was a just a big lie to get him to drop by.

Garland picked up his blade. "We have a tournament to prepare for and the competition will be fierce."

Mystel rolled his eyes, as he picked up his own blade. "It can't be as tough as the Justice Five tournament of last year." He sat down beside Ming Ming in the far corner of the room.

"No, it won't. It will be tougher," Garland retorted. He sighed. "I don't mean to be such a wet blanket, but we have to take this seriously. We can't allow Douglas to succeed." He grabbed an orange smoothie of the table and took a quick sip. "Or do you think talking with bladers from other teams is far more important?"

"I don't know what you are talking about," Mystel replied, crossing arms over his chest.

Garland sighed. "Ming Ming told me you were speaking to that girl again."

"She's a sweet girl," Mystel countered. Brooklyn choked on his juice. "I don't see why we can't have friendships with other bladers."

The captain laid his drink on the table. "You know why. How do you think Mariah will act if she finds out you're working for Boris still? There's a good chance she will tell Rei who will pass it onto Tyson. That'll make our job much more difficult." Garland pulled out a seat and sat down.

"So you want us to keep that information a secret? They're going to find out eventually no matter what," Mystel said, leaning back in the comfortable leather couch. "They can help us fight back. The more support we have the better, right?"

"We can't afford to take those chances. Boris is hated. Yeah, he's a crook, but he's the lesser of three evils here. Do you think the other bladers will understand that considering their pasts with Boris?" Garland asked, glancing around at the expressions on their faces. No one replied. "I doubt it. They're all talented bladers and I'm sure they can help, but we have our orders."

"I wasn't going to tell Mariah about Boris!"

Garland lifted a questioning brow. "Are you sure about that? Ming Ming tells me your trips take longer each time. I hope you're not too attached to her."

Mystel's eyes narrowed. "My friendship with Mariah is none of your concern."

The captain sighed. "I'm not going to stop you, but you need to be careful, Mystel. Don't make our situation much harder than it already is. If the media find out about Boris, they're never going to leave us alone. Now... about the championships. The qualifying rounds begin tomorrow and I'm sure you're aware of the format. We'll be facing off against a team called the Charming Princes," Garland said, pulling out a piece of white paper.

"The Charming Princes?" Brooklyn repeated, laughing. "What a name."

"They don't stand a chance against us," Ming Ming said.

"That may be so, but we should treat all our opponents with the respect they deserve. We're not exactly a popular team anymore, so we should work on building our reputation," Garland said.

Brooklyn waved a hand around in the air. "Whatever. I just want the chance to beat Kai again."

"Are you still determined to beat him? He defeated you last time," Mystel pointed out.

"He got lucky, that's all."

Ming Ming twirled a lock of hair around her finger, smiling at her teammates. "It's going to be a fun tournament then. At least we'll be there right from the beginning. We'll get to see the other teams in action... I'm sure the Blitzkrieg Boys will definitely want a chance against us."

Garland snorted. "And I'll beat them again if they so desire. I wonder what Boris ever did to them anyway? I never got a clear answer on that." Again, there was no response. "I might ask them when I get the chance in the tournament."

"You could always ask Boris, I'm sure he'll be thrilled to speak of his past," Brooklyn said, smirking. "Anyway, I hate to break this exciting party up, but I'm going to my room," he added, rising from the kitchen table.

"Probably going to examine his ant farm collection," Mystel muttered. Ming Ming chuckled.

They watched as Brooklyn left the room, humming a soft tune to himself. As soon as he had left, Garland spoke again, "We need to decide who is going to blade tomorrow. It's only the qualifying rounds though, so we only get to battle one match each."

"What did you have in mind, Garland? You are captain, after all," said Mystel.

"Brooklyn doesn't want to blade against an amateur team so he's sitting this one out. I'm going to blade that's for sure – it wouldn't look right if the team captain sat out anyway. That leaves two more positions. Crusher will be arriving tomorrow, but I called him earlier in regards to the tournament. He's keen to battle. So... one of you will have to sit out on this round."

Mystel glanced sideways at Ming Ming. "Do you want to battle?"

She shrugged. "You can. I'm getting my nails done tomorrow."

"Well, that was easy."

Garland nodded. "Don't assume this will be an easy battle. The Charming Princes might be a rookie team in comparison to us, but we shouldn't underestimate them."

"What other matches are on tomorrow?" Ming Ming asked. "I wouldn't mind checking out some of the other teams."

"No idea, which means I think we should remain there for the duration of the battles to scope out the competition," said Garland. He reached down into his pocket and pulled out a small piece of paper. "I don't know the scheduling, but I do know the names of the teams competing."

"Enlighten us," Mystel said.

"The PBB All Stars, The White Tiger X Team, The Blitzkrieg Boys, The BBA Revolution, F Dynasty Battalion, The Saint Shields, The Majestics, Douglas' team which is yet to be named and some other team which is also nameless ... and us of course." He put the paper away.

"F Dynasty Battalion?" Ming Ming repeated.

Garland shrugged. "Teams need at least four bladers on the team. I'm guessing Julia and Raul teamed up with some of the best bladers on Barthez Battalion."

Mystel snorted. "They weren't good bladers."

"Majestics? Sounds like a snob team," Ming Ming said.

"Yes, they are... but they're powerful bladers."

Mystel lifted a brow. "Didn't they fail to qualify?"

"That was because they lost to a certain cheat called Barthez."

"Whatever."

"Get a good night's rest. You'll need to be in peak condition," said Garland, before leaving the room.

.

A clap of thunder echoed throughout the valley as threatening clouds rolled across the sky. Patches of light green appeared in parts of the clouds evidence that hail was on the way. The thunder became louder as the storm made its way towards the city. Anyone caught in the storm's path would face its fury directly. While most people rushed back to their homes, one man refused to go into hiding.

He was an elderly man covered in a black hooded robe equipped with a crooked walking stick which he used to support his aging frame. He hobbled down the street, pulling the robe over his head as rain started to pour. It didn't take long until his clothes were drenched, but the man continued to walk determined to reach his destination.

A building six times the size of a common house sat atop a gentle hill completely isolated from the rest of the city. The walls were white, while the roof was as dark as the night. The Hiwatari mansion. He quickened pace as best as his body would allow walking through the now deserted streets. Fortunately, the bottom of the hill wasn't too far off and before he knew it, he reached the cobblestone path. The black spear gate was already open; he suspected storms in the past or rowdy kids had somehow managed to force it open.

Closing the gates behind him, he hobbled up the path as the rain continued to pour. It blurred his vision slightly, but he knew the path well. He had walked on it many times. Digging a hand into his pocket, he pulled out a big brass key then placed it in the keyhole unlocking the door. Pushing the door open, he was greeted to the familiar scent of home. "This place has been empty for years," he mumbled, closing the door behind him.

It wasn't hard to imagine why the place had been empty over a year. After his fall, word had gotten around the Hiwatari mansion was cursed. No one wanted to sell it. No one wanted to buy it. Youngsters often dared each other to jump over the gate and explore the house, but no one actually did it, fearing the owner would someday return. "I will get my revenge..." he muttered.

With cautious steps, he made his way up the spiral staircase, clinging onto the railings for support. It took awhile to reach the top but eventually made it and immediately headed to his room. "Now... where did I keep you?" he asked, eyes scanning the room. His gaze fell upon his desk. He walked over and pulled out the drawers searching for the chest box. There! In perfect condition as well.

The box had three locks on it. Reaching a hand under his shirt, Voltaire grabbed another key. It was a tiny silver key designed for this chest alone. He inserted the key and unlocked the first lock, then proceeded to unlock the other two. The chest clicked open. A slow smile crossed his face. "Black Dranzer." The world's most powerful bitbeast. It was even stronger than Dragoon. The bitbeast's potential was unknown, but Voltaire knew it could cause a great deal of damage.

He sat down looking at the marvellous beyblade. There was only one blader in the world worthy enough of wielding the bitbeast's power. A blader with a tainted past. His grandson, Kai Hiwatari. "You thought you could escape your destiny, Kai..." he cackled, lifting the blade out of the chest. "Did you really think you could run away from your destiny? Black Dranzer is yours and yours alone. You _will_use it." His expression darkened. The last time he had met with his grandson, Kai had turned down his offer to use the dark bitbeast.

This time he would not say no. It was time to make his comeback and complete what Boris was unable to finish. Steal all bitbeasts and use them as weapons of war. But first, he needed to get rid of competition and that meant shutting down his old friend Boris for good. Knowing Boris, the man was likely to have a team represent him in the championships. Voltaire needed a team of his own to finish the crook in the beystadium. The Demolition Boys came to mind. They hated Boris, but they bore no ill towards the himself. After all, it was Boris who was in charge of the training and the experiments. "I will make you strong again," Voltaire said.

Although he was in jail for quite a number of months, Voltaire had access to a television screen. He saw his grandson blade. He saw Tala and his teammates compete. Kai grew stronger, but the others seemed to become weaker. He would change that. Fingers clasped around the blade tight enough his entire arm shook. "I will not fail this time."

**.**

"I haven't seen you guys in years!" Tyson exclaimed, rushing to the front door to greet his old friends.

Andrew smiled. "That's because you've been far too busy beyblading at the elite level to spend time with us."

"Who are these guys?" Daichi asked.

Tyson was quick to offer a reply. "Andrew was my best friend when I was just starting out. He was the best blader in town at the time." It seemed so long ago. "So, how are you guys?"

Billy grinned. "We've been practicing hard for the upcoming tournament," he said, pulling out his beyblade from his pocket. "We're going to go right to the top."

"You'll have to beat me first," Tyson replied, smiling.

"Don't forget about me!" Daichi added.

"You've got a bitbeast!" Kenny said, examining the bitchip in Billy's blade.

Billy nodded. "Yeah, pretty cool, huh?"

"You need a team if you want to compete," Kenny said, a troubled expression on his face.

Andrew and Billy exchanged glances. "Yeah... that's what we're trying to sort out. The only problem is we can't find any other bladers willing to join up with us," answered Billy, shrugging. "The kids around here have already formed their teams and only the rookies remain, and none of them are willing to go to the tournament."

"You remember that kid you helped a few years ago? That kid that was being bullied by Riley? He's the local champion around here," Andrew said.

"I remember him vaguely. Champion, huh?"

"Not by tournament standards of course – but the kids run tag team street competitions now. It's like a warm-up for the real thing," Andrew explained. "Of course, he'll never match up to you. That battle you had with the BEGA bladers... that was unbelievable. You've come a long way Tyson from the rookie kid I used to know."

Tyson smiled. It was hard to imagine he too was once a rookie beyblader. "Hey... why don't you join our team? Kai, Max and Rei are fighting for their home teams again anyway, so we need some extra members."

"Speaking of Rei, where is he anyway?" Daichi asked, glancing around the room searching for their friend.

"In the bathroom," said Kenny.

"So, what do you say? Would you like to be part of the BBA Revolution?" Tyson asked, extending a hand towards Andrew.

"Sure!' Andrew replied, beaming.

"Awesome! We'll just have to add you and Billy to the registration and then we can start-look out!" Tyson shouted jumping to his right as the wall exploded. He landed on the ground with a loud thud, then glanced up. A cloud of smoke at the front entrance prevented him from seeing anything, but his ears picked up the sound of a beyblade.

"Tyson!"

Tyson couldn't tell who screamed his name. All he knew was that they were under attack by a mysterious blader. His hands immediately flew down to his right hip where his launcher and ripcord were hidden. He pulled them out then loaded his blade and fired at the cloud of smoke. Two more blades joined the fray.

He felt a pair of strong hands lift him up from the ground. "Tyson, we have to get out of here!"

.

And that was the opening chapter of a three parter. Parts two and three will be more dramatic and action filled obviously – this one simply sets it all up. So, what's in store for the next two parts? There's going to be a massive change that will take everyone by surprise with many bladers asking, 'why?' See you in the next chapter!


	13. Light and Darkness, Part Two

**Disclaimer**

The rights to Beyblade belong to Takao Aoki.

**Title**

A Hero's Last Cry

**Summary**

Tyson is keen to defend his title for the fourth time in a row, but things might not be so easy this time. A number of villains emerge and Tyson finds it hard to determine who is friend or foe. Is this the end of the champion's reign? TysonxHil. Season 4 fic. A tale of betrayal, friendship and salvation.

**Special Thanks**

I guess the last chapter wasn't that exciting because only two people reviewed... thanks to Omegaxis1 and Anjanie for reviewing it!

Song for this chapter is 'Do Yourself a Favor' by Stone Sour

**.**

**Chapter Thirteen: Light and Darkness: Protectors of the Earth**

_**Part Two**_

They raced out of the dojo as fast as they possibly could, Tyson at the back of the group. He came to a sudden halt, spun around and launched his blade at the smoke. "Battle blade!" he shouted.

"Tyson, what are you doing? There's no way you can win!" Kenny shrieked.

Tyson held his ground. His friends were in danger and he was the strongest blade in the group. It was his duty to protect them. Besides, no one destroyed his home without paying for it. Even without Dragoon, he would battle. "Attack!" Unfortunately, he couldn't use his special attacks to defeat the enemy but he could still blade like a champion.

The smoke cloud faded revealing a male, holding a long stick in his right hand. "Tyson, long time no see. Where's... Rei?"

Bruce. One of the novice bladers from the White Tiger tribe. What on earth was he doing wielding such a powerful blade? "Rei went out to get pizza," Tyson replied. "In other words, he's not here so you're wasting your time."

Hilary grabbed Tyson's arm and tried to pull him away, but the stubborn blader refused to move. "Tyson... you can't beat this guy." Tyson ignored her words. His attention was fully focused on the battle before him. Both blades collided. At first it appeared the two blades were equal in attacking strength, but Tyson quickly found himself overpowered by Bruce's super enhanced blade.

Bruce smirked. "So you're the champion blader? You don't look like much... oh wait, I forgot – you don't have Dragoon anymore." He stared down at his blade which was now glowing purple. He threw his hands up in the air, grinning. "Meet my glorious bitbeast, Akulaxtrus!" Carlos' bitbeast had been impressive, but Bruce's bitbeast was remarkable.

A green scaled winged lizard appeared out of the light. Thorned wings spreading at least six feet long flapped hard creating a powerful wind, while its forked tail slammed the ground causing the earth beneath them to shake. Tyson gripped Hilary's arm, and she held his own to stop herself from falling. The other bladers held on to each other to hold the ground.

"Tyson! You have to retreat!" Kenny screamed, clutching his laptop to his chest.

The ceiling began to crack, unable to withstand the earthquake for much longer. "We have to get out of here!" Andrew shouted.

"No!" Tyson yelled. "I'm not going to lose to this chump!"

"You're fighting a losing battle! You can't possibly compete against the much power!" Kenny shrieked.

He's right, Tyson thought. I can't win this battle...

"TYSON!"

"That sounds like... Rei?" Hilary said.

A smile broke out on Kenny's face. "He's arrived! We're saved!"

At lightning speed, Driger pounced on the dragon tackling it to the ground. The white tiger sunk its fangs into its neck, while the dragon desperately tried to throw him off. Rei burst into the room, breathing heavily. "Sorry guys, I didn't get the pizza – I came back when I heard a loud explosion."

"I'm glad you're back, Rei," Tyson said. "There's always another night for pizza." He turned to Bruce, his brows furrowed. "And now you're going down, chump."

"You think you're so good because you won a trophy three times in a row?" Bruce threw his head back, cackling. "I have something far greater than any stupid trophy... I have the power of the Leviathan and you shall bow down before it!" Another powerful gust of wind managed to throw Driger off.

"Leviathan? What is that?" Hilary asked.

"The strongest bitbeast alive... and we have your father to thank, Tyson," Bruce snickered. He held out his hand, calling back his blade. Within seconds, the gust faded allowing the bladers to witness the devastation.

Tyson picked up his blade, "What do you mean you have my father to thank?"

Bruce shrugged. "I've told you too much already... you can work the rest out... maybe..." he laughed again, then fled.

Rei retrieved his Driger blade and looked at his teammates. "I think we're in big trouble."

Tyson glanced down at his blade lying in the palm of his hand, "What does he mean Leviathan?" he turned to Kenny. "Chief? What have you got?"

Placing his laptop on the ground, Kenny quickly typed in 'Leviathan'. Nothing came up on the internet, but fortunately his laptop was no ordinary one. "Dizzi, what do you know about Leviathan bitbeast?"

"I thought you got rid of Dizzi?" Tyson questioned.

"Nope, I just got her upgraded and it took a year. What have you got, Dizzi?"

"It may be hard to believe, but there were five sacred bitbeasts. Dragoon, Dranzer, Draciel and Driger as you know... but one was kept a secret. The Leviathan. A great serpent with immense power capable of turning bitbeasts evil. Four of the sacred bitbeasts decided the Leviathan could not be released so they fought and locked it up in Purgatory," Dizzi said.

Rei traced his finger across the surface of his blade, a concerned expression on his face. "So you're saying that the Leviathan can turn bitbeasts evil?"

"It can also turn bladers evil, the Leviathan gets its power by latching onto a trainer and tapping into their negative thoughts. Bladers that desire power and revenge are high in energy, while those that value friendship and forgiveness provide little energy," Dizzi added. "The weaker the blader is mentally, the stronger the Leviathan gets."

"Is there any way to stop it?" Tyson asked, placing his blade back in his pocket.

"Convince all bladers to be positive?" Dizzi suggested.

"Dizzi!" Kenny scolded. "Let's be serious here, we're in great danger."

"Why does it always have to be about the bitbeasts?" Rei muttered.

"So who is behind this? Bruce said my father was to thank," Tyson said, kneeling down beside Kenny.

"You're father is a researcher isn't he? Perhaps he stumbled across something and was forced to keep it a secret," Rei said.

Tyson shook his head. "Dad worked for Stanley, why would Mr. Dickenson keep it a secret from us?"

"Unless he was forced to keep quiet about it all this time," Kenny said, stroking his chin. He thought hard, muttering incoherent words then suddenly jumped. "I think Mr. Dickenson could be in trouble."

"What do you mean, Chief?"

"Someone else obviously wants that Leviathan's power to control the world, but they need the right bladers for the job." Kenny picked up Dizzi and stood up from the ground. Pacing back and forth, he continued his explanation, "Stanley is the CEO of the Beyblade Battle Association so using him to set up a tournament was a good way to search for suitable bladers. But of course, Voltaire, Gideon and Boris all got in the way of those plans."

"So you're saying we've all been set up to further someone's sick ambition to take over the world?" Rei said.

"That's insane," Tyson commented.

Andrew and Billy nodded in agreement.

"But who is behind it then?"

"Someone ambitious. Someone who believes that with the right technology, victory will be guaranteed," Kenny said.

"Voltaire? No one has seen him in years," Rei said.

Tyson shrugged. "I doubt it, wasn't he locked up?"

"Who else then?" Hilary asked.

"Douglas, chairman of the PBB Research Facility," Kenny concluded.

Rei forced a laugh. "No way."

"I don't know who else it could be. I think he has somehow persuaded Mr. Dickenson to work for him."

"But that doesn't make any sense! Mr. D wouldn't work for a crook like that," Tyson protested. He sat down on the ground. "Why would Mr. D do this to us? I thought he believed in us..."

"I doubt Mr. Dickenson knew what Douglas' full intentions were, Tyson. He would never agree to it if he did," Rei said, sitting down beside Tyson. "All we know is this – Douglas needs to be stopped. I'm under the impression Douglas has hired those goons to work for him, offering them power in exchange for their loyalty."

Kenny nodded. "Right, Rei. We need to get to Mr. Dickenson before it's too late, he must know something about the Leviathan."

"We can find my father too! He has to know something!"

"And Judy. Max's mum works for Douglas, she's in danger," Hilary added. She then brought her hands to her face. "Oh my gosh, where are Kai and Max? They were probably attacked by Bruce as well!" At that precise moment, Kai and Max entered the ruined dojo.

"We're fine Hilary," Kai said, "but our bitbeasts are at stake."

"We had a run in with Wyatt and Alan back at the warehouse," Max added, "but we escaped without harm." He walked to sit in the middle of the group. "We overheard the details outside, and Kai and I both agree on one thing – we need to stand together as a team."

Kai nodded. "This is going to be our toughest battle yet, and we're one blader down," he said, looking at Tyson who grumbled, "We're strongest when we are together."

"I'm not going to let anyone take our bitbeasts!" Daichi declared, holding out his blade.

Max placed his blade over Daichi's own. "They can throw all the bad stuff they want at us, but we will not be defeated."

Rei added his blade to the middle, "I'm not losing Driger ever again."

"As captain of this team it is my duty to protect us," Kai said, placing his blade over Rei's. All four bladers looked to Tyson. "What do you say, Tyson?"

Tyson looked over to his other friends. Billy and Andrew gave him the thumbs up, while Kenny and Hilary simply smiled. He turned back to Kai and nodded. "I might be without my bitbeast for the time being, but I will not let you guys go into battle without me," he said, placing his blade on Kai's. "Bladebreakers!"

"G-Revolutions!"

"Er, what team name are we going to use?" Rei said.

Max scratched his head. "Maybe we should come up with a new one?"

"Can't we just stick with G-Revolutions? It's not like we added any new members or anything," Daichi said.

Rei shrugged. "Works with me."

The others nodded. "Alright, G-Revolutions it is then. Watch out Douglas, we know about your rotten plan and we're going to take you down!" Tyson said, earning a cheer from the rest of the group.

.

"I didn't lose that battle because I'm weak," Johnny said, pacing back and forth. "I lost because I underestimated her, that's all." Johnny McGregor was _not _a weakling. He was a champion blader and damn right he was going to prove he was one.

"Mariam really got under his skin," Enrique said, smirking. "Johnny doesn't have a lot of luck against blue haired folk," he added, making a reference to Johnny's loss to Kai.

Oliver nodded. "He's met his match."

"She beat him good."

Johnny stopped pacing. He spun around, eyebrow twitching. "She got lucky!"

Enrique gave Oliver a sideways glance and sighed, "He really can't stand losing can he? You would've thought he had become accustomed to losing since he loses so often now." Oliver laughed.

"Like you can talk, Enrique!" Johnny retorted, curling his fingers into a fist. "My opponents have always been tougher than yours!" He shook his fist threateningly.

"Jonathan! Please quieten your voice, I am trying to concentrate," Robert said, from his position at the study desk in front of the fireplace.

Enrique stood up from the couch and walked over to Robert, peering over his shoulder at the journals lying on the table. "What are you studying?"

"The Leviathan Ozuma mentioned. I wonder if my ancestors mentioned anything about it before, but so far I have found nothing." He turned to the next journal, a large book with a gold engraving on the cover. "Perhaps this one might have something useful."

"Those dusty tomes aren't going to teach you anything, Robert," Johnny stated, continuing to pace again."

"They are not dusty tomes!"

Johnny rolled his eyes. "Whatever. I'm getting out of here." He spun around and made a break for the door.

"Where are you going, Johnny?" Robert asked.

Without looking back over, Johnny shouted, "Out!" He slammed the door.

"I bet he's going after his future girlfriend," Enrique said, grinning from ear to ear.

"She's way out of his league," Oliver commented, also smiling.

Robert simply sighed. Peace at least.

.

He was going to demand a rematch from the Saint Shield girl, and he was not going to give in until she said yes. His pride was on the line as well as his reputation as being 'a tough blader'. Blading was a man sport! Only men were fit to blade, while the women cheered from the sidelines. So how on earth did Mariam, a weak girl, beat him?! "I'm not going to let you down again, Salamalyon," Johnny said, glancing down at his blade. "Dammit Mariam, where the heck are you?" he growled, scanning his surroundings.

Currently, he was walking down a busy street. Various clothes shops lined the sides of the road, but would Mariam be shopping? She didn't strike him as the type of girl to spend all day looking at clothes, unlike Enrique's stupid girlfriends. As he continued down the street, he heard the voices of a boy and girl arguing.

"Joseph, stop complaining. I won the battle and Ozuma said we could have the rest of the day off," Mariam snapped.

"This isn't what I had in mind," Joseph whined. "I want to check out the beyblading shop!"

"We'll do that soon, alright? I just want to find some more shampoo and conditioner."

Johnny smirked. Perfect. He headed towards the source of the voice and soon spotted the unmistakable royal blue hair of Mariam. No one else had blue hair around these parts so it was impossible to miss her. "Mariam," he said, walking up to her.

She turned around. "Oh, it's just you," she said bluntly.

He was a member of royalty and she acted like she was disappointed to see him?! He clenched his fists and forced himself to calm down. "I want a rematch."

Joseph sniggered. "Looks like you have yourself an admirer, sis."

Johnny really wanted to throttle the younger male, but that wouldn't encourage Mariam to battle with him again. He bit back and angry reply, and focused on the girl. She was the important one anyway. "You and me. Battle."

"I beat you fair and square, Johnny. Why can't you just accept that you lost?"

"You caught me off guard. That won't happen again."

"I'll leave you two alone, maybe Dunga will come with me to blading shop," Joseph said, then walked away whistling to himself.

Mariam glared. "I'm not having a rematch with you."

"Scared you'll lose?" Johnny taunted.

She gave him a dismissive wave. "I could beat you with my eyes closed."

"I was going easy on you before."

"I wasn't even using half my power," Mariam retorted.

Why couldn't she just accept? Damn girl. "Why can't you just agree to have a rematch?" he almost whined.

Mariam ignored him. She reached down into her pocket and pulled out a brown paper bag. Digging a hand into the bag, she soon pulled out an apple. Two red apples in fact. "Here, have an apple," she said, holding the apple out towards him.

"...uh..."

"I didn't poison it, alright?"

He took the apple. "What's the apple for?"

"Eating?"

Johnny felt his cheeks burn from embarrassment. Thank goodness the other Majestics weren't present otherwise he was sure they would hold this moment against him for the rest of his existence. He took a bite out of the apple.

"You are desperate for a rematch aren't you?" Mariam asked, placing one hand on her hip.

Johnny nodded. "Like I said, you got lucky before."

"I'll think about it... while we go shopping." She grabbed his arm and pulled him over the shops on the right.

"Shopping?" Oh no.

She grinned. "How badly do you want that rematch?"

How on earth had he sunk so low? He thought, as he followed her into the beauty products shop.

.

So the G-Revs are back together as a team and now are aware of what they face. Will they be able to stop the Leviathan before it's too late? Will Johnny ever get his rematch? Find out more in the next chapter. Reviews are much appreciated, as always!


	14. Light and Darkness, Part Three

**Disclaimer**

The rights to Beyblade belong to Takao Aoki.

**Title**

A Hero's Last Cry

**Summary**

Tyson is keen to defend his title for the fourth time in a row, but things might not be so easy this time. A number of villains emerge and Tyson finds it hard to determine who is friend or foe. Is this the end of the champion's reign? TysonxHil. Season 4 fic. A tale of betrayal, friendship and salvation.

**Special Thanks**

Thanks to ayushi, SgtPeppersLHCB and Anjanie for reviewing the previous chapter. Also, thanks to Garfakcy-chan for reviewing the first – I hope you enjoy this version better!

Song for this chapter is 'God's Gonna Cut You Down' by Johnny Cash.

.

**Chapter Fourteen: Light and Darkness: God's Gonna Cut You Down**

_Part Three_

For hours Johnny followed Mariam through the shop, stopping every few minutes to examine a random product on the stocked shelves. Perfume. Moisturising cream. Hair stuff. As far as he was concerned, all this stuff was crap. No one cared how you looked when you battled in the beystadium, so why spend so much time and effort doing so? "This is boring," he whined.

Mariam glanced over her shoulder, giving him a cold look. "You're the one who wants a rematch."

"This isn't a fair trade!" Johnny complained.

The girl rolled her eyes, and shook her head sadly. "When I finish browsing, I'll give you your rematch... I don't think it's such a good idea though." She shrugged, flipping a lock of hair away from her face, "You will lose. You have no technique. It's just hit him hard and hope for the best."

Johnny's brow twitched. How dare she mock the McGregor style of battling! "Take that back, Mariam. You got lucky, that's all. I'll make you eat your words," he said, glowering.

Again, the girl shrugged. "Whatever." She didn't even spare him a glance this time, instead choosing to focus on the products. It was obvious to Johnny that Mariam thought of him as inferior to her skills and that itself annoyed him. He was a champion blader and he ought to be treated like one!

"Look at me when I'm speaking, dammit!" he snapped, temper beginning to get the best of him.

She did. "I'm looking, but I'm not impressed," she replied lazily.

Having Mariam looking back at him like this made him pay close attention to her features. He found himself unable to pull his gaze away from those intense emerald eyes. And that cute button nose! Wait. What? Cute? Johnny mentally slapped himself. He did _not _think cute. No way. He was _not _Enrique or Oliver. He could feel her eyes watching him demanding a response. Pulling himself out of his trance, Johnny forced a grin. "What do you say we make the rematch a whole lot more interesting?"

"Oh?"

"Well, when I win, you..." Damn. His mind went blank. He really should have thought this one through first. "You have to pay for lunch."

"That seems hardly fair considering your background," Mariam replied bluntly.

"Are you scared?" he taunted.

She shook her head. "Fine, I accept your terms. You have to buy me dinner when I win."

Fat chance. "Fine."

Mariam smiled then turned back to the shelves grabbing various products. She handed a couple of them to Johnny and held the remainder herself. Once she was done, she led Johnny to the counter and paid for her purchases then walked out the door with two plastic bags. "You should probably go and practice, I want the battle to be a fair fight," Mariam said, smirking.

"I'd say the same for you, Mariam," Johnny replied.

She waved him goodbye, then strolled off calling out her brother's name. Johnny watched her leave, his eyes drawn to the way she swayed her hips as she walked. "Why don't you take a photo, Johnny? I hear it lasts a lot longer," Enrique said, snapping Johnny out of his trance.

"I wasn't staring!" he protested.

Enrique grinned. "Sure... I think Johnny has a crush."

Johnny glared, balling hands into fists. "Do not!"

The Italian raised his hands in a defensive matter, "Chill! I was joking, that's all. I was looking for you to tell you that Robert is having a friendly battle with Ozuma down at the park at the battle dish. We should check it out. It'll give us a chance to get the upper hand on those Saint Shields," he said. For once, Johnny had to agree with him.

.

Mariam headed towards the nearby alley, leaving a frustrated royal blader behind. She enjoyed teasing him; hot-headed people were so much fun to screw around with. Johnny reminded her of Dunga. Both had short tempers and both were very proud and incapable of accepting a loss. Toying with his emotions gave her great joy; oh how she loved seeing a face red with anger. "Sorry, Johnny... but you're just the type I love to tease," she said to herself, as she walked through the alley.

It wasn't the brightest idea, but she wasn't too keen on returning to Ozuma just yet. Why not take the time to explore a little? Besides, it wasn't as if there was anyone around to stop her anyway. She continued to walk. "I wonder how Max is?" she asked herself, not caring that she was speaking aloud. Of course, there was no answer. "Probably still blading with his friends," she said. She missed Max. The blond boy seemed to have the natural ability to bring out the best in people.

"_I think you have an admirer, sister," Joseph sniggered, lounging on a stack of crates nearby._

_Mariam rolled her eyes, giving her brother a sharp look. "You're talking about Max, right? I'm not interested in him."_

"_You called him a puppy dog – that means you think he's cute," Joseph pointed out, earning a light hearted chuckle from Dunga. _

_Mariam shot Dunga a dirty look silencing the hot-tempered brute. "Just because a girl calls a guy cute, doesn't mean she's crushing on him," she replied, placing a hand on her hip. "You guys are all the same – you assume that just because a girl gives a guy the littlest of attention that she likes him." Max was a sweet kid, but he wasn't romance material... at least not in her definition._

"_You followed him to the warehouse," Joseph said._

"_I wanted to ensure his bitbeast wasn't stolen by some scum from the streets."_

"_Oh come on, Mariam... don't you feel anything for the poor guy?" Joseph teased, making kissy faces. Mariam wanted to slap him. Alright, so she did like Max. No one else had ever been that nice to her. His friendliness had caught her off guard – was it all just an act? How could anyone be so happy all the time when there was so much evil happening in the world? _

_She crossed her arms. "No, I don't. If Max was interested he'd have tried to contact me throughout the third world tournament, but he didn't. His interests are in beyblading, family and his close friends," she remarked. The conversation came to an abrupt end._

Any form of interest Max had shown her before the second world tournament had disappeared. Not once had he tried to contact her even though she had given him her number. It confirmed Max didn't care for her in the way her teammates thought he had. Guys like Max weren't worth her time pursuing anyway. He was too soft and innocent... like a puppy dog. Sure, he could bite when provoked – but most of the time he was his typical happy self.

Lost in her thoughts, Mariam hadn't paid attention to where she was going. Now she was standing at a crossroads, with four identical paths leading down into one of the dark alleys. She cursed herself for her lapse in concentration. "Dammit, Mariam," she scolded. "Now how do I get out of here? Maybe I'll just choose some path and hope it takes me back to an area I'm familiar with." She couldn't see any other option, so she took the northern path and hoped for the best.

The alley never seemed to end. Bringing a hand to her mouth, she gnawed on a nail as she tried to figure out whether to go back or not. "Okay, relax Mariam. Just keep heading north." Pulling her hand away, she dug into her pocket finding solace in her blade. Shark Rash would keep her safe.

"Mariam, right? From the Saint Shields team?" a male voice asked from within the shadows of the alley.

Mariam stopped. She glanced around searching for the speaker. "Who are you? Show yourself."

The male stepped forward, his body hidden by the olive hooded cloak he wore. "I'm a blader, just like you," he said, pulling out his launcher, ripcord and blade. He faced the launcher towards Mariam, then spoke again, "I was going to be a professional. I was going to be one of the greatest bladers in the world, but that all came crashing down. I spent most of my life training to be the best." He forced a dry, bitter laugh, then swallowed hard.

"Don't we all?" Mariam replied dryly.

The laughter ceased. The boy clicked his fingers. "But suddenly, everything changed just like that. I was cast aside because I failed to prove I was better. I was beaten and thrown away like a bag of trash by the people I idolized most."

"Sad tale kid, but I don't have time to trade sob stories. I need to get back to my teammates." She turned around to leave when a blade flew past her, smashing into the wall creating a big dent. Mariam lifted her brows. "So, you have power."

"You're not leaving. I'm going to prove to _him _that I am the best!" The black blade fell from the wall and landed on the ground circling around Mariam's feet.

Mariam pulled out her own blading gear, then launched her blade into the battle. If the kid wanted a fight, she would give him one and shut his whiny mouth. "You're messing with the wrong target, boy."

Once again the kid laughed, but there was no humour in his tone. "My father threw me aside! He placed faith in someone else that wasn't his son! I will destroy ever professional blader starting with you and maybe then he'll love for me when he realizes that I am the best!" The blade began to spin faster until it was just a blur. Black flames burst from the bitchip encasing it, as a creature began to appear.

For once, Mariam felt true fear. The creature that appeared from within the flames wasn't anything she had ever seen before. It appeared to be a human riding a black horse, but on closer inspection, it was revealed to be a centaur. Except that it wasn't. It had no head attached to its neck. Rather, the head was being held underneath the centaur's arm, a permanent expression of terror on its pale face. In its other hand, it held a fearsome whip.

"What... is that?" she said, backing away into the wall, eyes wide with shock.

"The headless centaur of despair. Have you heard about the mythical tales of the Dullahan, the headless rider? It's said when the rider stops riding a person dies... fortunately for you, my bitbeast will not cause death... directly anyway." He threw his head back and cackled, as the creature reared emitting an ear-splitting sound. Mariam dropped to her knees, hands clutching her head. "When my bitbeast rears it causes pain in its opponent as you are experiencing and when all fours are back on the ground, an explosion occurs. It was nice knowing you, Mariam."

Before she could react, the wall she was leaning on exploded sending her flying forwards. She hit the opposite wall and landed on the ground, covered in rubble and debris. Her vision blacked out.

.

Johnny and Enrique hurried back to the park where a large crowd had formed around the centre. He could hear the sounds of beyblades battling and quickened his pace, almost jogging towards the beydish. He forced his way through the crowd, Enrique following close behind him, as two bitbeasts appeared in the sky. The mighty Griffolyon spread its wings and screamed, unleashing a flurry of feathers at the opponent.

The other bitbeast obviously belonged to Ozuma. It was a cat, and Johnny was reminded briefly of the White Tigers sibling duo and their feline based bitbeasts. "Impressive," Robert started, "but your feline will fall to the might of Griffolyon. Wing dagger!" Again, there was a flurry of feathers. Multiple feathers struck the feline, pushing Ozuma's blade back to the edge of the dish.

The battle seemed to be going in Robert's direction, and Johnny considered leaving now. What was the point in staying around anyway? The battle had been won. Ozuma would not be able to counter attack Griffolyon. As he turned around to leave, he heard Ozuma laugh. "Not bad, for a half-bird half-lion bitbeast, but you haven't seen my full power! Flash Leopard! Cross fire!" Flash Leopard somehow repelled the feathers with flames then leaped forward, its claws gnashing at the mythical creature's bulk.

"Ozuma's pretty good, but not in the same league as Robert," a kid commented.

"No way, Ozuma's better!" another kid argued.

Johnny wanted to laugh at the foolishness of the debate but no laugh would come. He was actually starting to feel nervous watching the battle before him. Robert was good, no, he was the finest champion in all of Europe, but Ozuma, a blader with no royal background, was proving to be a challenge. Robert didn't seem unnerved though, in fact, Johnny thought his captain was smiling. "You are a fine blader, Ozuma."

"Likewise."

"But only one of us will be victorious. Griffolyon, it's time to end this battle. Wing tornado!" Griffolyon flared its wings in preparation for the final attack when a loud explosion rung out throughout the streets. Johnny glanced in the direction of the sound. His jaw dropped open. A large cloud of smoke rose up from the spot at the shop Johnny had previously been at with Mariam.

Panic broke out amongst the crowd. Kids started to scream, running in various directions searching for their parents. People inside the shops ran out, terrified expressions on their faces. Emergency services arrived on the scene trying to restore order, but their attempts failed. People continued to panic. "We'll save this battle for another time, Robert," Ozuma said, retrieving his blade.

Robert nodded. "We need to investigate. Are we all here?" he asked.

"Present!" Enrique said.

"I'm here as well," Johnny commented.

He glanced to right and spotted Dunga and Joseph standing behind Ozuma. But where was Mariam? Why hadn't she returned yet? She had left before Johnny. And Oliver? Had he been caught in the explosion? "Mariam is missing," Johnny said.

"And Oliver too," Enrique remarked.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Joseph exclaimed, taking off in the direction of the smoke cloud. Johnny shared a worried glance with Enrique, then chased off after Joseph.

.

The events of the past few days had made Tala more irritable than usual. Someone was out to cause trouble for Kai and his friends and he believed it had something to do with Voltaire. The old man was looking for Kai. But why? What did he want with his grandson? Did he want Kai to succumb to the power of Black Dranzer and dominate the world yet again?

And Carlos. What was his motivation for doing the things he was doing? Causing trouble? No – there had to be more to it than that. He was working for someone that much was obvious. But why? And whom? So many questions, yet so few answers. "Tala, you look constipated," Bryan remarked, grinning.

Typical Bryan comment, oh how observant he was. "It's not the time for jokes, Bryan. We have a task to do."

Bryan flopped down on the couch, and looked up at his captain expectantly. "What task?"

"I'm sure you've probably heard about the whole Tyson and Carlos thing by now, word travels in the world of blading... but Carlos isn't our concern. We need to figure out what Voltaire's motives are so we can stop him before he does anything bad," Tala said, standing in the centre of the room. At this precise moment, Spencer and Ian entered, each boy holding an ice cream in their hands. Tala lifted a brow, then shook his head.

"What's your plan?" Bryan asked.

"Break into Voltaire's old home."

Ian snorted. "That place is haunted. It's sitting on a hill in the middle of nowhere surrounded by a creepy fence. Why do you want to break in anyway? The place has been vacant for years; I doubt there'd be anything worth stealing." He licked his ice cream roughly accidentally knocking over a scoop onto the ground. Spencer sniggered.

"We're not breaking in to steal anything. Rather, I want to know what secrets Voltaire has kept in there. He's back in town and he wants Kai and I want to know why before he does something stupid," Tala explained, heaving a long sigh. Ian was now glaring at his ice cream cone. "Ian, clean up the mess you made before someone slips over and breaks their neck."

Ian muttered, but did as Tala asked. He returned shortly with a blue cloth and immediately started cleaning up the mess. "What do you think Voltaire is hiding?"

"Black Dranzer. Kai never destroyed the blade," Tala commented.

Bryan's eyebrows arched. "You think Voltaire is planning on using that thing again? Kai's not going to fall for that a second time."

"You think? Things aren't looking to good for us at the moment. Kai may be tempted to use ultimate power to combat the other evils we face," Tala questioned. His teammates did not respond, simply 'hmphed'. Tala sighed, then continued, "It won't be easy though... Voltaire will most likely be at home. We're going to have to provide a distraction for him."

"What distraction would that be?" Spencer asked.

Tala cleared his throat. "I'll talk to him, you three break in."

Bryan almost leapt out of his chair. "What? That's insane! You can't meet up with Voltaire!"

"You think I'm going to stand aside and do nothing while he plots for our demise in private?" Tala retorted, voice rising.

Bryan leaned back in his chair. "You've got a point. How are you going to contact him anyway? I thought you erased his number."

"I'll get it out of Dickenson one way or another. I don't want Kai to know that we're breaking into his old home, alright?" Tala demanded. Bryan, Spencer and Ian all nodded. "Kai's got enough on his plate anyway with his team being targeted by Carlos. I'll head to the office now, while you guys make your way to the mansion. I'll send you a text when it's time to enter, alright?"

"Good luck to you, Tala. Don't get distracted by any pretty girls on the way there," Bryan teased, as he made his way to the front door. Spencer and Ian both laughed, while Tala simply glared at them. As if _he _would get distracted by a pretty girl. No... the girl would get distracted by _his _stunning looks. Muttering to himself about incompetent teammates, Tala headed into the kitchen and made himself a sandwich. He wasn't going to leave with his teammates just yet – he didn't feel like putting up with their crap right now so he waited until he could no longer hear them.

Once their voices could no longer be heard, Tala picked himself up from the couch and headed for the BBA Headquarters. Voltaire was going to go down, no matter what the cost.

.

Any guesses on who that creepy kid was? A review from me if you do!

How are you finding the Johnny and Mariam relationship developing? Apologies to those that support Mariam/Max – it will not happen.

Just what does Tala think he's doing? Meeting Voltaire in person can only end in trouble... right? Find out more in the next chapter! Reviews are much appreciated, as always!


End file.
